TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today urged the Federal Communications Commission to put measures in place that will help stem the tide of foreign-based illegal robocalls attempting to scam Americans. Attorney General Moody, as part of a bipartisan group of 51 attorneys general, sent a letter to insist the FCC require gateway providers—companies that allow foreign calls into the United States—to take steps to reduce how easily robocalls are able to enter the U.S. telephone network. These necessary steps include implementing STIR/SHAKEN, a caller ID authentication technology that helps prevent spoofed calls. In 2020, Americans lost more than $520 million through robocall scams.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Scammers often use robocalls in an effort to quickly engage millions of targets across the country. Robocalls using spoofed numbers are difficult to track and even harder to stop—especially when they originate from overseas. That is why I am calling on the FCC to work with telecommunications companies to put up barriers to reduce the number of foreign robocalls bombarding Americans’ telephones.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is enlisting more soldiers and creating new tools in the fight to end human trafficking in Florida. Today, at a news conference in the Florida Capitol with Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, the Florida Alliance to End Human Trafficking and business leaders, Attorney General Moody announced a new training initiative. The 100 Percent Club is a campaign recognizing Florida businesses that pledge to train 100% of employees on how to spot and report suspected human trafficking safely and effectively.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Human traffickers are constantly looking for new angles and tactics to exploit victims and advance their illicit trade. We too must update and improve how we target and stop traffickers. I am proud to join our dedicated partners today to launch a new training initiative designed to dramatically increase the number of Floridians equipped to spot and report suspicious activity in Florida. We also are launching a new statewide tip line and providing quick-reference alert cards to Floridians to assist us in this essential fight.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today issued a Consumer Alert warning Floridians about new and reemerging COVID-19 test scams as Omicron variant cases increase nationwide. With more and more people seeking tests, scammers may be exploiting this demand to steal personal, financial or medical information. There are recent reports in Florida and nationwide of potential fake COVID-19 testing sites, imposter health care workers at legitimate sites and at-home testing scams. Attorney General Moody is asking Floridians to remain cautious when requesting a COVID-19 test—both at a testing site and at home.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “As we have seen throughout the pandemic, scammers change tactics as news and situations change. With the recent rise in the number of people seeking COVID-19 tests comes an increased risk that scammers will try to take advantage of the demand. Please take precautions to protect your personal information when seeking a test—whether at a legitimate site or when purchasing an at-home test.”

Long lines at in-person testing sites have caused many Floridians to seek the convenience of at-home COVID-19 tests and testing services. Before purchasing one of these tests or providing personal information to companies offering at-home testing services, particularly online, follow these steps to verify the legitimacy of the product:

• Only purchase products from a well-established, legitimate store or website;
• Search online for the brand name of the test and any complaints;
• Beware of private companies that offer free or reduced cost at-home testing services, particularly if those companies require private information to make an appointment; and
• Watch out for private companies that require personal information to sign up for an at-home testing service but will not guarantee an appointment time.

In addition to at-home test scams, there have been recent reports of suspicious COVID-19 testing sites popping up in Illinois. The sites appear legitimate but are designed to steal personal information from unsuspecting test seekers.

Signs of illegitimate, pop-up testing sites include:

• Having no affiliation with local medical providers or government entities;
• Not delivering test results;
• Workers seeming uninformed about the testing process; and
• Volunteers that are unmasked or not following current Center for Disease Control and Prevention point-of-care guidelines and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s standards during interactions with patients.

Last week in Sarasota, law enforcement received reports of suspicious individuals impersonating health care workers at a legitimate testing site asking test seekers to provide personal, financial and medical information.

Below are questions to ask to help spot a testing-site imposter:

• Are they dressed the same as the other health care workers on site?
• Are they interacting with test seekers within the established test-site area?
• Can they accurately and correctly answer questions without seeming nervous or confused?
• Do they pressure test seekers for personal or financial information?
• Are health care guidelines and standards being followed?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reviews and authorizes the use of products to prevent or treat COVID-19, including vaccines, tests, drugs and non-vaccine biological products, medical products and devices and more. Unfortunately, some bad actors may sell unproven or illegal products to profit off the pandemic. Not only are these products ineffective, but they could endanger consumers. FDA’s website provides an updated list of fraudulent products and warning letters of firms who have been reported for selling these fake products.

Anyone who suspects a COVID-19 test-related scam should report it to local law enforcement, or to the Florida Attorney General’s Office by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or visiting MyFloridaLegal.com.

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! We hope that your Christmas season was joyous and blessed. It was good to be able to get some time back home with friends and family before the 2022 Legislative Session begins. We will return to Tallahassee to begin that work on January 11 and we plan to continue updating you on all that we will accomplish there.

These past few months, your Senator has had the privilege of traveling all over the state to be with our Governor as he continues to help keep Florida free and witness firsthand at what an amazing leader we have in him. We have Florida voters to thank for this! Without your hard work, involvement and commitment to the cause of liberty, we could very well be living in a lockdown state like California with a drug addict Governor in Andrew Gillum. Instead, we live in a state that continues to win on every front. From election law to COVID policies and taxes, Florida is leading the way and stands as a beacon of liberty in a country where there are places still half paralyzed with fear. Our working families need the freedom to prosper and overcome challenges together, not big government bureaucrats telling them what to do. Thanks to leaders like Governor DeSantis and a republican controlled legislature, Florida will continue to move forward without lockdowns and mandates. Continue reading →

GAINESVILLE, FL – Today, Congresswoman Kat Cammack announced this year’s Veteran of the Year as Mr. Duane Dewey, a Medal of Honor recipient, for his courageous actions during the Korean War in 1952.

Known as the “Man of Steel” in Florida’s Third Congressional District, Corporal Duane Edgar Dewey received the Medal of Honor in March 1953 from President Dwight D. Eisenhower following his heroic actions near Panmunjom, Korea with the machine gun platoon of Company E of the United States Marine Corps.

When an enemy grenade landed close to his position while he and his assistant gunner received medical attention for their wounds during a night attack, Corporal Dewey pulled his fellow corpsman to the ground, shouted a warning to the other Marines around him, and bravely smothered the deadly missile with his body, personally absorbing the full force of the explosion to save the lives of those around him. When accepting the Medal of Honor from President Eisenhower after significant months of recuperation, the president joked, “you must be made of steel,” and the nickname stuck. Continue reading →

OCALA, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo to announce a new long-acting COVID-19 monoclonal antibody therapy from AstraZeneca will be available for moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals, such as cancer patients and transplant recipients, at numerous health care provider locations in Florida, upon allocation from the federal government.

“This monoclonal is a new tool for some of our most vulnerable Floridians and we are happy to make this available throughout the state,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Florida has been a leader in advocating for early treatment of COVID-19 and the availability of this new monoclonal is a continuation of the state’s efforts. Florida will continue to use a comprehensive approach to respond to COVID-19 and promote healthy living through Healthier You.”

Governor DeSantis also discussed Healthier You, the Florida Department of Health’s new initiative which serves as a one-stop shop for Floridians to access resources to promote a healthy lifestyle. Continue reading →

“Ronald Dion DeSantis was born on September 14, 1978, in Jacksonville, Florida, the son of Karen (née Rogers) and Ronald DeSantis.

[1] He is of Italian descent.

[2] His family moved to Orlando, Florida, before relocating to Dunedin, Florida, when he was six years old.

[3] In 1991, he was a member of the Little League team from Dunedin National that made it to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

[4] After graduating from Dunedin High School in 1997, DeSantis attended Yale University. He was captain of Yale’s varsity baseball team and joined the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.

[5] On the Yale baseball team, DeSantis was an outfielder; as a senior in 2001, he had the team’s best batting average at .336. Continue reading →

TAMPA, Fla. – First Lady Casey DeSantis announced Governor DeSantis is recommending $100 million for cancer research and care in his 2022-2023 budget, an increase of $37 million, or nearly 60%, over prior year funding. The funding will be used to forward cancer care and research at three cancer institutes in Florida — Moffitt Cancer Center, University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and University of Florida Health Cancer Center. View the full roundtable HERE.

“Florida offers some of the best cancer care and research in the nation, and I’m proud that we are proposing historic investments in our leading cancer centers,” said First Lady Casey DeSantis. “The Governor and I are committed to helping every cancer patient that we can through innovative research and high-quality care. While we increase this important funding, I also urge Floridians to go through appropriate cancer screenings. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in our state and now is not the time to delay care. I was honored to join experts in the cancer field today to discuss the urgency of cancer screening and to hear about the incredible innovative solutions our institutes are putting forward.” Continue reading →

The State of Florida will investigate its holdings in Chinese companies and retake control of its shareholder proxy voting from ideology-crazed investment funds

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis held a meeting of the State Board of Administration where he, CFO Jimmy Patronis, and Attorney General Ashley Moody moved to revoke all proxy voting authority that has been given to outside fund managers, to clarify the state’s expectation that all fund managers should act solely in the financial interest of the state’s funds, and to conduct a survey of all of the investments of the Florida Retirement System to determine how many assets the state has in Chinese companies.

“If you look at how these major companies behave when faced with Chinese disapproval, they censor what the CCP tells them to censor and we see groveling apologies,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Go back a generation, and the idea of the American elites was, ‘If we allow China into the WTO and give them most favored nation status, that will make China more like us.’ This experiment has failed and it has endangered our nation’s national and economic security.  Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today issued a warning to Floridians who are holiday shopping online to be wary of phishing websites designed to look like a company’s legitimate website. According to a Threat Report by Webroot, traffic to fake websites spikes during the holiday season—increasing by more than 20% on some of the most popular shopping days. A cybersecurity report, released in August, also shows that over the past six years, the impact of phishing attacks quadrupled, now costing companies $14.8 million per year. With many signs pointing to a continued increase in online sales during the holiday shopping season, Attorney General Moody encourages Floridians to stay on the lookout for websites that are not what they seem to be.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Last year, online shopping saw record-breaking numbers, and there is a good chance that this year will be similar. With millions of people searching online for holiday gifts, it is no wonder that scammers are creating fake websites to steal their money. All it takes is a simple letter change, extra space or a wrong click for a consumer to visit a fraudulent website. Be extra cautious this holiday season of the websites you visit and make sure to only give financial information to trusted sites.” Continue reading →