Week In Review
With more Floridians than ever before working from home and holding virtual meetings, a new trend called Zoombombing is emerging. This week, I issued a Consumer Alert to warn Floridians of this new threat to online privacy. Zoombombing occurs when hackers hijack internet video conferences, like…
As the federal government prepares to make payments mandated through the coronavirus stimulus package, scammers are making efforts to steal those benefits. This week, I issued a Consumer Alert to warn Floridians about emerging stimulus scams and provide tips to help them avoid falling prey to…
As we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic impacting our state, an altogether different type of disease is emerging—scammers using the crisis to rip off Floridians. We will not tolerate anyone taking advantage of Floridians who are simply trying to protect the health and safety of their…
This week, I issued a Consumer Alert to warn Floridians about scams related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, a malicious website displaying a live map of COVID-19 cases mimicking a legitimate map by Johns Hopkins University was reported. Clicking on the website releases malware that can…
This week, Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in response to the spread of COVID-19 in Florida. When the governor makes an emergency declaration, the state’s price gouging laws go into effect. To help deter any price gouging related to COVID-19, I activated Florida’s Price…
This week, we celebrated National Consumer Protection Week by providing tips and highlighting the millions of dollars in recoveries obtained for consumers in Florida and nationwide. Protecting consumers is a major focus of our office and over the past year, we have launched several major…
This week, we recognized the one-year anniversary of our Back the Blue Award. When I became Attorney General, I wanted to create a program to foster respect for our great law enforcement officers and recognize those working hard to support them. Then I had this idea of creating an award to…
The 2020 Census is underway, and this week, we issued a Consumer Alert to warn Floridians that scammers may try to exploit this mandatory count to steal personal information. The U.S. Census serves a critical role in the function of our representative government, and participation is mandatory.…
This week, I had the pleasure of speaking to local government officials at the Cyber Florida workshop in Marion County. Local governments are increasingly coming under attack by cybercriminals. Last year, several cities, and at least one Florida school district, were held hostage by these tech-…
In recognition of National Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week, I issued a Consumer Alert full of tips to help taxpayers protect their personal information. Tax season is a prime time for criminals to try and steal your identity or file for a return in your name. Luckily, there are steps you can…
This Sunday, Super Bowl LIV will light up South Florida. It’s an exciting time and we are lucky that Florida has the honor of hosting this worldwide event. Hundreds of thousands of fans are in Florida to watch the game and participate in the festivities. While the visitors create a boom for our…
This week, my service as a Commissioner on President Donald J. Trump’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice began. I am honored to serve as the sole state Attorney General appointed to this national Commission by United States Attorney General William P. Barr. On Oct.…
Informing you about deceptive tactics used to rip off Floridians is vital in our fight to stop scams and prevent fraud. This week, I launched a webpage dedicated to keeping consumers up-to-date about emerging scams and steps they can take to avoid fraud. Shortly after taking office, I launched…
One year ago this week, I stood on the steps of Florida’s Historic Capitol, placed my hand on the Bible, and pledged to protect Floridians and defend our state laws. It’s an oath I take seriously. One I live out daily. As we recognize this milestone, I remain as committed as I did on day one to…
This week, I convened the final meeting of the Statewide Task Force on Opioid Abuse of 2019. The meeting focused on the recovery process and innovative programs to promote and sustain long-term recovery for Floridians struggling with Opioid Use Disorder. The meeting highlighted barriers to…
We recently received some good news about our efforts to stop trafficking and rescue survivors. Florida earned an A grade from Shared Hope International for our anti-human trafficking laws and advances made to protect children from these horrific crimes. The report highlights Florida’s strong…
The holiday shopping season is in full swing and this week we issued several alerts to help Floridians avoid scams as they buy gifts and give to charity in celebration of the season. It’s important to give and to experience the joy and kindness that accompanies these holidays, but we want to…
This week is National Utility Scam Awareness Week. Utility scammers prey on unsuspecting consumers’ emotions and scare them into giving up personal and financial information. I don’t want any Floridian to feel helpless against these fraudsters, so I issued tips directly to consumers this week…
Florida is litigating one of the most comprehensive state opioid cases in the country. Our case seeks to hold the nation’s largest opioid distributors, manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies responsible for their roles in fueling the opioid crisis. This week, a Pasco County judge ruled in…
The Florida Medical Examiners released new statistics this week highlighting a decrease in drug-related deaths. Opioid-related deaths declined by 10 percent and overall it appears Florida is moving in the right direction. While this is encouraging, far too many people continue to die from drug…