Attorney General Ashley Moody visited the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in Lady Lake to continue the Thin Line Tribute initiative. Attorney General Moody honored the LCSO and Lady Lake Police Department for the expansion of K-9 programs aimed at helping officers both on and off duty.
Pebble Springs retirement Community Ground Breaking with Congressman Daniel Webster on January 27th located at 11750 NE 62nd Terrace, The Villages, FL 32162
The Lady Lake Chamber has started their referral Luncheon back up and it’s bigger and better. They call it the Power Net6working Luncheon. It is held at Harbor Hills Lady Lake. There were so many people they had to add chairs to the tables, we still had plenty of room. They had a very nice salad Bar. New people introduced them selves and networking went on. Don’t miss next month, call the Chamber for more information 352-753-6029.
As peak tax season approaches, be aware of any suspicious activity using your personal information. The IRS has reported incidents of tax fraud from victims. There are victims reporting that they are attempting to file their taxes and are being rejected as their social security number has already been used by someone to do so. With on-line methods for banking, shopping, and also a means of bill payment being more popular, it is important to safeguard your personal information. It’s a good idea to purchase a cross cutting shredder and shred all documents that you no longer need prior to discarding them.
If you are a victim of tax fraud, you will need to file a police report with your local law enforcement agency and then with the IRS providing them with your case number. The IRS will investigate the fraudulent activity. It is a good idea to check your credit history periodically through Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion to ensure that you are not an unsuspecting victim. Continue reading
MOORE HAVEN, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis awarded more than $1 million in funding to the City of Moore Haven through two Rural Infrastructure Fund grants to improve and enhance the downtown area and attract new development, creating new jobs and improving the local economy. The City of Moore Haven will use the funds to complete roadway and stormwater improvements that will mitigate recurrent flooding and prevent pollutants from entering the Caloosahatchee River Basin Estuary.
“Our rural communities are the backbone of our state, and I will continue fighting for these communities,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This infrastructure funding will help the Moore Haven area support current residents, protect the environment and better prepare for future growth.” Continue reading
On February 10, 2022, in News Releases, by Staff
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) filed a proposed permanent rule that prohibits the issuance or renewal of licenses for facilities or organizations that house Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) whom the Federal Government is resettling across the United States, including Florida, unless there is a cooperative agreement between the State of Florida and the Federal Government.
DCF Secretary Shevaun Harris said, “Through its policies, the Federal Government has made a decision to encourage the mass smuggling of minors to the southern border without their parents. No government that claimed to care for children would ever tolerate this. The Federal Government’s careless policies have led to this unsafe situation, and Florida will no longer be complicit in it. By ending the State’s involvement with the UAC program, the proposed rule will finally force the Federal Government to take full responsibility for the care and treatment of the UAC population.” Continue reading
MARIANNA, Fla.,— Governor Ron DeSantis announced over $91 million in funding to communities across the Panhandle region through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s (DEO) Rebuild Florida Mitigation General Infrastructure Program. Projects include improvements to wastewater and sanitary sewer, potable water, and stormwater systems.
“I’ve said from the beginning that recovery from Hurricane Michael would be a long-term process,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Michael has forever left a mark on Panhandle communities, but through the funding provided today, we can ensure these communities are stronger and better equipped for the future.” Continue reading
Reports of jury duty scams have surfaced in at least five Florida counties in the past year—two of those warnings coming in this month alone.
Scammers are calling targets claiming they missed a jury duty report date and must make immediate payment to avoid going to jail, even though failure to appear for jury duty is not grounds for immediate arrest.
Court officials will also never demand payment over the phone or ask that payment be wired or made through a gift card.
There are few civic duties as important to our judicial system as serving on a jury. As a former judge, I’m livid that anyone would exploit this honorable process to scare citizens into paying a ransom. Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with the assistance of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, today arrested a business owner for stealing thousands of dollars from the Florida Medicaid program. Rasheia James owned a home health care service company that provided services for Medicaid recipients. According to the investigation, James knowingly created and submitted falsified documents to Medicaid for services not rendered. James allegedly billed Medicaid more than $9,600 for services never provided to customers that needed health and personal support care. Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today released online safety tips for Floridians in recognition of Safer Internet Day. In 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported that internet scammers victimized more than 50,000 Floridians, with nearly $300 million lost to online scams. Anyone can fall prey to these schemes—so, Attorney General Moody is issuing a warning to children, seniors and adults on Safer Internet Day to help Floridians guard against fraud.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “No one is completely safe online, and that is why we have developed resources to help protect Floridians on the internet. As we recognize Safer Internet Day, please take a moment to review your online security plan to ensure you are doing all you can to protect your identity, personal information and children from cybercriminals and predators.”
In the past year, Attorney General Moody has released online safety content for Floridians of all ages:
Online Safety for Children
Last month, Attorney General Moody released the 2022 Online Safety Toolkit, designed to help empower parents to teach their children about the dangers of human trafficking online and to create effective online safety plans for safe internet use. The toolkit contains pages of educational material aggregated from federal, state and local public agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Florida law enforcement and technology companies.
Online Safety for Seniors
In an effort to help seniors avoid scams, Attorney General Moody launched the Scams at a Glance program. The online resource provides tips and information through downloadable brochures designed to assist consumers with information and best practices to guard against fraud.
Online Safety for Adults
Attorney General Moody releases Consumer Alerts covering a wide range of topics, with many focusing on various tech-related scams that are reported to the Florida Attorney General’s Office.
Some of the latest, top technology-related Consumer Alerts include:
Malware that Drains Cellphone Batteries and Bank Accounts
To view other recent Consumer Alerts, visit Attorney General Moody’s Consumer Alert webpage at MyFloridaLegal.com/ConsumerAlert.
