Scams

A Sarasota man is among nine people from Florida and Ohio charged in connection with alleged schemes to defraud programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled, and to obtain controlled substances through fraud. The charges filed in the Middle District of Florida are part of the Department of Justice’s 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action.

SunPass is alerting users after a notice from the toll collecting service said there was a phishing scam targeting the general public.SunPass, a division of Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, said in a statement to customers that “SunPass does not ask customers via text to make a payment or to take immediate action on their account.”

Charlotte County cautions residents against providing credit card, bank, or other personal information to callers claiming to represent EMS billing or other county departments.A resident recently alerted the county’s Fire & EMS headquarters, stating they were contacted via phone by a party claiming to have an EMS billing refund due to overpayment and requesting the caller's banking information so they could receive the refund amount.

A nationwide scam involving jury duty and fines for a claimed non-appearance has prompted an alert from officials of the U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida. Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg issued the warning Monday advising the public of a scam in which callers pose as U.S. Marshals or other government officials and claim that the victim is about to be arrested for not appearing for jury duty but can avoid arrest by paying a fine.

Former Cape Coral resident Devin Ryan Maresca will serve a three-year federal prison sentence for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.Maresca, 33, was sentenced Tuesday by Senior U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $74,700, which were the proceeds of Maresca’s mail fraud scheme.

A Fort Myers man is among three men sentenced Tuesday in connection with a $54 million bribery and kickback scheme involving TRICARE, a federal program that provides health insurance benefits to active duty and retired service members and their families.

Collier County Clerk Crystal K. Kinzel will serve as one of the Fraud Week Ambassadors for this year’s International Fraud Awareness Week. ACFE is the world’s largest anti-fraud organization and premier provider on anti-fraud training and education sponsors this annual effort to encourage community education and initiatives to raise awareness of fraud.

A scam targeting people being subpoenaed for court cases and demanding money to stave off an arrest is spreading around Southwest Florida.

Official City events can be seen via CapeCoral.gov; be wary of events that ask for payment if not officially sanctioned.

Tabria Josey, along with an accomplice, fraudulently listed underdeveloped plots of land with homebuilding or investment potential in several Florida counties. The case against her accomplice, Kiana Kiara-Alexis Russell, 22, of Loxahatchee, also involves charges of scheming to defraud, money laundering and aggravated white-collar crime and remains pending.The Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution filed the case in Lee County due to the fact that many of the victims and listed properties are in Lee County.