Scam

Leonard W. Krane of Naples is being charged with four counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering in a scheme that exceeded $3.7 million in proceeds. If convicted, Krane faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of over $3.7 million and other assets traceable to the proceeds of the offenses.

Luis Emilio Hernandez, 45, of Naples, plead guilty Monday to two counts of wire fraud and six counts of money laundering in connection with a $1.2 million scheme to defraud an elderly victim following Hurricane Ian.

A Georgia woman who scammed a Sarasota victim out of $19,500 is facing a 20-year prison sentence after pleading guilty Monday.

A scam involving emails that appear to be from SSA and include a link to download their Social Security statement have been reported across the U.S. The Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) said the email is an attempt to lure individuals to fraudulent sites that are not associated with SSA.

An insidious scam method that preys on people being oblivious to their actions has been seen in Florida but doesn't appear to have filtered down to our neck of the woods. A Facebook Reel made by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office offers a warning for those copying a QR code while parking.

Outside of The Sunshine State, The Crypto Crisis has drawn the attention of the cyber security teams at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Around the country, Law Enforcement are scrambling to tackle a new target for scammers, Crypto ATM’s. in 2024, over $9 billion was lost in these types of fraud cases.

The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General is cautioning the public to be aware of emails that appear to be from SSA and include a link to download their Social Security statement. The email is an attempt to lure individuals to fraudulent sites that are not associated with SSA.

SunPass officials say they are aware of a phishing scam involving use of the prepaid toll program's name.The scam uses text messages requesting prompt payment to avoid fees. The messages also contain a link to a fraudulent website in an attempt to collect information. Officials said SunPass does not send these messages.