Understand Scam Patterns in the Places You Care About

The Florida Attorney General's Office and FDLE's Cyber Fraud Analytical Support Team shut down hundreds of fraudulent SunPass/E-ZPass lookalike websites used to harvest personal and financial data via fake toll-payment text messages. New phishing sites and smishing campaigns have continued to resurface through mid-2026, with messages threatening late fees and legal action to pressure immediate payment.

Fraudulent text messages impersonating FLHSMV claim recipients have an unpaid traffic violation and threaten license suspension, vehicle registration cancellation, and prosecution unless immediate payment is made via a link to a fake website. FLHSMV has stated it will NEVER contact consumers by text to collect fees or threaten suspension. A new surge was reported in South Florida in March–April 2026, with fake case numbers, invented Florida statutes, and non-.gov URLs used to deceive victims.

A Dover, FL woman lost $15,000 after scammers used AI to clone her adult daughter's voice, fabricating a distress call claiming the daughter had caused a car crash and needed immediate bail money. A "public defender" co-conspirator called next and directed the victim to withdraw cash and hand it to a fake courier who arrived at her home. Scammers then demanded an additional $30,000. Hillsborough County detectives are investigating; the victim believes social media audio clips were used to train the voice clone.

Scammers are sending official-looking emails falsely claiming to be from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, demanding that licensed professionals (real estate agents, contractors, healthcare providers) submit driver's licenses, business EINs, and website links under threat of license suspension, fines, and enforcement action. A separate campaign impersonates DBPR callback services to extract payment or personal information. DBPR confirmed it emails only from @myfloridalicense.com and never requests personal information via email.

Scammers are posing as law enforcement officers and calling Jacksonville residents about fake warrants for missing jury duty, then texting official-looking fake U.S. District Court documents. They demand immediate payment to avoid arrest. JSO confirmed that neither law enforcement nor courts will call, text, or email to demand payment, Social Security numbers, or banking details. Scammers have been observed spoofing the JSO non-emergency line (904-630-0500) itself.

Scammers are impersonating law enforcement officers and contacting Lee County residents, claiming the victim has an active arrest warrant, missed jury duty, or is involved in a crime. They demand payment via credit/debit card, cryptocurrency, gift cards, Zelle, Venmo, or Cash App, and may ask for Social Security numbers or banking information. Sheriff Marceno confirmed the Lee County Sheriff's Office will NEVER contact residents requesting money or personal information for any reason.

Sheriff Marceno issued a January 2026 alert warning Lee County residents about cryptocurrency investment fraud ("pig butchering"), in which scammers build trust through social media, dating apps, misdialed text messages, or fake job ads, then introduce fake crypto investment platforms showing inflated returns. Victims are coached to open real exchange accounts and transfer funds; the scammer then disappears with all deposited money. FBI 2025 IC3 data shows $914.5M in cryptocurrency-related losses in Florida — the highest of any crime category in the state.

A sophisticated phishing operation targeting homeowners, contractors, and businesses in Palm Beach County involves fraudulent emails that include accurate property addresses, real permit or case numbers, and the names of actual county government officials. The emails demand immediate "processing fee" payments via wire transfer, peer-to-peer apps, or cryptocurrency under threat of project delays or penalties. County officials confirmed payments are only accepted via the official portal or in person at the Vista Center. The FBI identified non-.gov email domains as the primary red flag.

Florida Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins and DOEA Secretary Michelle Branham launched Operation Senior Shield, a statewide initiative responding to escalating elder fraud. The program deploys a multi-disciplinary fraud strike team, real-time scam alerts, and ethical-hacker-led education. FBI 2025 IC3 data shows Florida's 60+ victims filed 17,147 complaints totaling $709.8M in losses — second highest in the U.S. The FTC separately reported $258M stolen from Floridians over 50 in 2025. Top vectors include tech support, romance, government impersonation, and investment fraud.

Florida AG James Uthmeier issued an urgent consumer alert following 23andMe's March 23, 2025 bankruptcy filing, warning Floridians that their genetic data — the most sensitive personal information possible — could be sold to unknown third parties as part of bankruptcy asset liquidation. The AG advised all Florida 23andMe customers to immediately (1) delete genetic data from their accounts, (2) request destruction of physical DNA samples, and (3) revoke all research consent permissions. The alert invoked Floridians' rights under Florida's Digital Bill of Rights.

USPIS's Southern Florida district issued warnings during National Consumer Protection Week (March 2–8, 2025) targeting five key imposter scam types: fake bank/government representatives, grandparent emergency scams, romance scams (never send money to someone met online), USPS delivery-failure texts (all fake — delete and forward to spam@uspis.gov), and lottery/sweepstakes advance-fee fraud. USPIS stressed that USPS will NEVER send unsolicited texts and that any package-delivery-problem text is a phishing attempt.

The FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report (released April 2026) documents Florida as the #3 state by both complaint volume and total losses: 71,843 complaints and $1.596 billion in losses. Florida seniors (60+) filed 17,147 complaints with $709.8M in losses (#2 nationally). Cryptocurrency-related fraud accounts for $914.5M of Florida's losses. Top national crime categories were investment fraud ($8.6B), business email compromise ($3.05B), and tech/customer support scams ($2.13B). Cyber-enabled fraud now accounts for 85% of all IC3 losses nationally.