Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has unveiled an online resource and outreach program to help citizens identify and combat fraud attempts and targeted scams in phone calls, text messages, emails, and door-to-door visits.
The downloadable brochures “Scams at a Glance: Power-Off Fraud” are available in English and Spanish and explain various cons, including robocalls and robotexts, utility fraud, cryptocurrency scams, identity theft, COVID-19 scams, debt collection, and more.
“Scammers know that receiving a text message or email threatening to cut off your utilities can be alarming, prompting people to send money or financial information immediately,” Ms. Moody said in a news release. “Scams at a Glance: Power-Off Fraud is a new resource that will help Floridians stay informed and vigilant, safeguarding their finances and peace of mind from scammers.”
Ms. Moody wants to provide Floridians and all American citizens with resources to spot scams before fraudsters can obtain personal information and money from their victims.
Her anti-scam resource urges citizens to look out for unsolicited emails, high-pressure tactics that urge immediate action, threats of loss if the victim does not act, and requests for immediate payment by wire transfer, credit, prepaid debit cards, or gift cards.
Robo Scams
One common type of fraud involves robocalls and robotexts, which are utilized by legitimate companies for marketing and communication with consumers. Ms. Moody recommends adding mobile and home numbers to the national Do Not Call Registry, as this will help to prevent unsolicited calls from legitimate businesses.Scammers, however, do not abide by the ‘Do Not Call’ list, so Ms. Moody advises reporting any scam calls and texts to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) ‘Report Fraud’ website.
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According to Ms. Moody, spam robotexts are now more common than spam robocalls as many government agencies utilize robotexts for legitimate purposes like weather warnings and school closures. It is illegal for companies to send robotexts with autodialers without receiving consent from the recipient, according to FTC rules.
Robotexts are particularly dangerous because they can contain links that, when clicked, can download malware to a user’s phone. Often, the scammer utilizes caller ID spoofing, which is when a caller disguises the source of the call by using a false phone number, often with the same area code as the victim.
Smishing occurs when a scammer tries to trick a victim into providing personal or financial information via a text message. Sometimes scam robotexts fraudulently claim to be shipping companies with package tracking updates or trusted companies with special deals or discounts.
Ms. Moody advocates against responding to robocalls and robotexts because, at minimum, it will confirm to the scammer that the victim’s phone number is active. She recommends researching phone apps before downloading them, and advises against clicking any links in suspicious text messages.
When receiving robocalls, never give out personal information like an account number, social security number, or passwords, she warns. If a caller purports to be a company representative, hang up and call the company directly using the phone number on their website.
Identity Theft
When a scammer tries to use the private personal information of another to commit fraud, it is considered identity theft by federal law. Fraudsters will use names, addresses, social security numbers, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, credit and bank account numbers, and even fingerprints.Ms. Moody suggests looking out for suspicious bank and credit card withdrawals and charges or warnings from banks or creditors of unusual account activity. She encourages citizens to look for credit report errors, bills for products or services that were not ordered, or a tax return rejected by the IRS because it was “already submitted or because reported income does not match IRS records.”
Citizens can use stronger passwords and security questions, multi-factor authentication, and self-audits of the three main credit bureaus as ways to combat identity theft. Providing private information to unsolicited phone or email requests can also result in identity theft, she cautions.
Ms. Moody recommends three actions if someone believes they might be a victim of identity theft: file a police report, notify the three credit bureaus, and file an identity theft affidavit with the FTC.
Debt Collection
Of course, some debt collection calls and letters are from legitimate companies trying to collect money that is actually owed. If a citizen wishes to reduce this communication, they can send a letter to the debt collector asking them to stop. If the debt collector does not cease contact, report them to the FTC. However, Ms. Moody notes that ceasing contact does not absolve the debt owed to the collector. Floridians can report debt collection harassment to the Florida Office of Financial Regulation.Some scammers try to exploit “phantom debt,” which is debt that does not exist, has already been paid, or was previously discharged. Be aware, she says, that in some instances, a scammer may exploit a real debt by pretending to be a legitimate debt collector and trying to collect the money from the debtor on the company’s behalf.
Ms. Moody recommends asking unknown debt collectors to send validation letters in the mail detailing the collection agency’s name, address, credit account, and the debt owed. The law requires legitimate debt collectors to send written validation within five days of making contact.
The FTC also enforces the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which prohibits harassment from third-party collection agencies and attorneys. The Sunshine State has its own companion to this law—the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act.
Both of these laws strictly prohibit collectors from using “abusive, profane, violent, threatening or obscene language,” calling before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., lying or misrepresenting debts, impersonating attorneys, contacting debtors at their place of employment, accusing the debtor of a false crime, or threatening to place debtors in jail for non-payment of consumer debt. Only failure to pay child support or court-ordered restitution can result in a jail sentence.
IRS and Tax Scams
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) scammers try to convince citizens they are calling from an official source and that urgent action is required. These often involve unsolicited calls, high-pressure tactics, threats of financial loss if immediate action is not taken, and money requests through wire transfers, credit cards, prepaid debit cards, or gift cards.Often, the scammer poses as an IRS agent and uses a fake number with a Washington area code to try to appear legitimate. The fraudster might know a portion of the victim’s social security number or mailing address to bolster credibility. They might demand immediate payment or threaten the victim with “arrest, deportation, or license revocation if they do not comply.”
Ms. Moody says all legitimate contact from the IRS comes through U.S. mail and that a legitimate IRS agent would never contact a citizen over the phone or email first. They will never demand immediate payment using a specific method like a wire transfer, nor will they threaten to call local law enforcement if taxes are not paid right away. Additionally, a true agent will not request credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
Anyone who feels they might be a target of an IRS scam can call the IRS directly or report suspected IRS phone scams to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Suspected fraudulent IRS emails can be forwarded to [email protected].
Other Scams
Scammers might also pretend to be representatives from a utility company. Ms. Moody recommends vigilance whenever an unknown person knocks on the door and alleges to be from the resident’s electrical company, for instance. Ask to see their work ID and to call the representative’s alleged company or employer to verify if they are legitimate.Some scammers will go as far as opening utility services in another person’s name. Most typically targeted are senior citizens and non-native English speakers, but all Americans need to be on the lookout, Ms. Moody said. She suggests checking the three major credit bureaus to make sure there are not any utility services that were approved without consent.
Con artists are also exploiting the growing public awareness of cryptocurrencies to scam would-be investors. They might pretend to be slick investors or someone directly connected to an investor and lure victims into creating accounts on coin exchanges. Sometimes, the scammer promises high returns if the victim puts down a specified amount of money that is eventually stolen by the fraudster.
Another con, a bait-and-switch, results in the victim initially earning a small return, only for the scammer to have the victim send them the money directly or advise them to take the profits and put them on a fraudulent trading platform or website where the con artist can steal them.
So-called tug-pulls occur when a person or group creates a new cryptocurrency and promises high returns. Once a large number of coins are purchased, the owners sell all of the coins they are holding, tanking the value as they walk away with profits. Any initial investors left with the coins lose most or all of their original investment.
Ms. Moody recommends avoiding investment opportunities that seem “too good to be true,” fake testimonials for alleged investors, promises of free money, blackmail attempts to procure money, and social media messages offering cryptocurrency investment opportunities.
While not as prevalent as before, there are still scammers peddling false claims about COVID-19, she cautioned. Some may try to sell fake disinfectants or cleaning products without EPA or FDA approval, or at-home treatments, cures, or vaccines, and fake at-home testing kits.
Indeed, during the pandemic, some scammers took advantage of the high demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) and sold fraudulent supplies, Ms. Moody said.
The Florida AG’s new website also has brochures for other prominent scams. They include dating and romance, winter holidays, hurricane and natural disaster relief, moving and towing, tech support, heating and cooling, veterans’ benefits, charity scams, price gouging, and e-commerce.
For victims or potential victims, Ms. Moody recommends filing a complaint at MyFloridaLegal.com or by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226).
