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Florida residents, particularly seniors, are experiencing widespread scam calls and text messages, including toll balance fraud and unsolicited calls from unknown numbers. According to board-certified elder law attorney Jana McConna, vulnerable seniors—especially those who are isolated, lonely, recently widowed, or experiencing memory issues—are actively being targeted, with scammers exploiting emotional vulnerability and cognitive decline to financially manipulate victims. McConna emphasizes that isolation and loneliness are key risk factors that make seniors susceptible to fraud schemes.

An 85-year-old Florida woman was scammed out of $32,000 after receiving a call from someone impersonating a Publishers Clearing House representative who claimed she had won $1 million; the scammer convinced her she needed to pay taxes upfront to claim the prize. One of the alleged scammers, Shenia Baptist, was extradited to Volusia County and arrested, with the local sheriff personally greeting the victim to demonstrate law enforcement's commitment to protecting seniors from fraud.

A suspect named Shanah Baptist was extradited to Florida after defrauding an 85-year-old woman of $32,000 in a fake sweepstakes scam in June. Baptist and accomplices, including Neelon Brooks, were part of a multi-state fraud ring targeting seniors in Volusia County, with the sheriff emphasizing this represents a growing problem in the community. Baptist denied wrongdoing upon her arrest at Daytona Beach Airport.

Fraudulent text messages impersonating SunPass have resurfaced in South Florida, claiming recipients owe toll payments and threatening legal action, with fake account balances included. These phishing scams attempt to steal personal information like driver's license numbers for identity theft, with hundreds of residents in Martin and Saint Lucie counties reporting receipt of the fraudulent texts. Authorities advise recipients to delete messages without clicking links and contact SunPass directly, while Americans lost over $2 million to similar imposter scams in the previous year.

Authorities in Martin County, Florida are reporting a rising scam targeting elderly residents, in which scammers pose as tech support by displaying fake McAfee virus alerts and convincing victims to grant remote computer access. The scammers then manipulate victims into withdrawing cash from their banks under the false pretense of account security testing, with two known victims losing a combined $57,000 ($40,000 and $17,000 respectively) before couriers collected the cash. Law enforcement advises families to check with elderly loved ones about recent cash withdrawals or money transfers to help identify and investigate cases.

Scammers across the country, including South Florida, are sending sophisticated phishing text messages and emails claiming recipients owe unpaid tolls (often for amounts like $35) and directing them to click links to pay. Experts warn these messages are designed to look legitimate and, if clicked, can allow scammers to steal credit card details, passwords, and device access, with the FBI having received thousands of reports about these resurfacing toll road scams.

Florida's House Bill 3, effective January 1, 2025, requires adult content websites to verify users are 18 or older through ID verification methods to protect minors online. PornHub announced it will block access for Florida residents rather than comply with the ID photo upload requirement, citing disagreement with the state's specific verification approach.

This article is not relevant to elder fraud research. It reports on Florida's House Bill 3, which requires age verification (uploading a photo ID) for adult content websites to protect minors, effective January 1, 2025. PornHub is blocking Florida residents' access rather than comply with the ID verification requirement. **Note:** This piece concerns internet regulation and minors' online safety, not elder fraud, abuse, or scams targeting seniors.

The FBI Miami issued a holiday season warning about the rise of online scams, which increased 22% between 2022 and 2023, with South Florida's online investment fraud losses jumping from $12 million to $300 million. Elderly individuals are particularly targeted for romance fraud, tech support fraud, and impersonation schemes, with AI increasingly used to facilitate scams; charity fraud also peaks during the holidays. The agency advises consumers to be skeptical of offers that seem too good to be true, as billions of dollars are lost annually to fraud schemes nationwide.

Following Hurricane Milton in Florida, scammers are targeting homeowners seeking repairs for hurricane damage, particularly tree removal and home restoration services. A legitimate tree service company advises residents to carefully vet contractors before hiring them for cleanup and repair work to avoid being defrauded during the post-disaster recovery period.

The Better Business Bureau warns that disaster relief efforts following Hurricanes Milton and Helen have created opportunities for scammers to exploit people's desire to help hurricane victims in Florida and the Southeast. Donors are advised to follow best practices when giving to relief organizations, such as verifying legitimacy, as scammers often capitalize on charitable giving during disaster recovery periods.

**Summary:** During hurricane disasters in Florida and the Southeast, scammers exploit donors' generosity through fraudulent charitable solicitations via email, text messages, phone calls, door-to-door visits, and social media. Former FBI agent Scott Augenbomb advises verifying charities by visiting their official websites directly rather than using links from unsolicited communications, and recommends contacting legitimate sources independently if you cannot verify an organization's authenticity.

Following Hurricane Milton's landfall in Florida, homeowners are warned to research contractors carefully before hiring them for repairs, as out-of-state "fly-by-night" contractors often take cash upfront and disappear without completing work. Red flags include unsolicited door-to-door solicitation, and homeowners should verify contractors are licensed through their county, check online reviews, and hire local, reputable professionals to avoid being scammed during the cleanup and repair process.

Over 65,000 Americans fell victim to romance scams in the last year, losing more than $1 billion collectively, with Florida ranking second nationally in victim count according to the Federal Trade Commission. An Orlando woman named Rebecca D'Antonio lost approximately $5,000+ across multiple transactions after developing an online relationship with someone posing as "Matthew Shawn," who fabricated an emergency overseas requiring financial assistance. The scammer used photos, poetry, and false promises of an in-person meeting to build trust before requesting money for a fabricated crisis.

In the past year, over 65,000 Americans lost more than $1 billion to romance scams, with Florida ranking second in the nation for victim count according to the Federal Trade Commission. An Orlando woman featured in the investigation fell victim after developing an online relationship with someone claiming to be "Matthew," who built trust through pictures, poetry, and personal conversations before requesting money for an overseas emergency when his credit card stopped working in Nigeria.

Volusia County Sheriff's Office partnered with a free community screening of the film "Thelma"—which depicts a 93-year-old grandmother being scammed—to raise awareness about elder fraud, which costs older Americans billions of dollars annually and significantly affects Central Florida seniors. Law enforcement officers provided prevention advice to attendees, emphasizing strategies such as not answering unknown phone numbers, ignoring unfamiliar text messages, and contacting police or trusted neighbors when uncertain.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 556 into law to protect seniors and vulnerable adults from scams, which allows banks to delay money transfers if employees suspect fraud is occurring. The legislation addresses a rising problem in senior communities, including romance scams, tech support scams, and sweepstakes fraud that have financially drained many elderly residents. The law empowers financial institutions to intervene and potentially prevent losses before money leaves accounts.

Malvertising scams are rising in Florida, where cybercriminals purchase fake advertisements on search engines to trick users into clicking malicious links that redirect to fraudulent websites designed to install malware on devices. Florida's Attorney General warns that these deceptive ads mimic legitimate websites and are difficult to distinguish, with malware incidents peaking in February and March and showing a nearly 300% increase over the last three quarters. Protection measures include pausing before clicking suspicious ads, installing ad blockers, updating browsers, reviewing computer plugins, and using antivirus software.

According to an FBI report, Florida seniors over age 60 lost more than $290 million to fraud in 2023, ranking the state second worst in the nation, with scams targeting this age group increasing 11% from 2022 and averaging nearly $34,000 per victim. The most common fraud schemes include investment scams, fake tech support, online romance scams, and law enforcement impersonation schemes, with many cases going unreported due to victim shame.

Florida ranks second-highest in the nation for elderly fraud, with adults over 60 reporting nearly $3.5 billion in losses nationally and approximately $300 million in Florida losses, according to FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center data. Tech support scams led fraud cases in 2023, with scammers increasingly using artificial intelligence to disguise their identities. Law enforcement advises seniors not to answer calls from unknown numbers and to be aware that legitimate authorities will not call ahead to warn of warrants or missed jury duty.

A man named Harsh Kir Patel (also known as "Dirty Harry") was arrested and charged in U.S. federal court with transporting illegal aliens and conspiracy in connection with the deaths of the Patel family—a couple and their two children (ages 11 and 3) who froze to death while attempting to illegally cross from Manitoba into Minnesota in 2022. According to court documents, Patel allegedly managed a gambling business in Florida and recruited another smuggler, Steve Shand, to facilitate the illegal border crossing that resulted in the family's deaths.