Almost every hour, people worldwide receive spam calls from random people pretending to be someone they’re not.
Different communication scams have become a significant issue, and people often fall for them. Some may wonder how scammers obtained their phone numbers, and most scammers would use public records to retain information on the people they’re targeting.
Florida, however, is cracking down with stiffer penalties for scammers.
With House Bill 1171, the reclassifications of charges for scammers who defraud people 65 years of age or older, minors and people with disabilities have changed as of Oct. 1.
There are different penalties for those who scheme to defraud, depending on which felony they would be facing.
Florida lawmakers say they are taking this issue very seriously, not allowing schemers to get away with taking from innocent people. With the reclassification, the penalties have changed.
A first-degree misdemeanor has been reclassified to a third-degree felony, and a third-degree felony has been reclassified to a felony second degree. A second-degree felony has been reclassified to a first-degree felony.
The main types of schemes are organized fraud and communications fraud. Organized fraud is a scheme that defrauds people of money or property. Communications fraud includes mail, telephone or electronic communication to execute a scheme.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, it received fraud reports from 2.6 million consumers last year, nearly the same amount as 2022.
When finding targets, scammers efficiently target older people aged 65 and up. This would make them an easier target because, in most cases, they aren’t up to date on the newest technology trends, and their mental or physical capacity may not be in the best shape.
According to Elder Affairs Florida, more than 3.5 million seniors fall victim to fraud each year with an average loss of $35,000 per victim.
Different awarenesses campaigns have been initiated to help residents avoid being a part of a scam. According to Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the best ways to avoid scammers are to be careful with links and new website addresses, not to open emails from people you don’t know, and to secure your personal information.
Also, with HB 1171, those whose image or likeness was used in fraudulent activity can now take legal action. In this aspect, it helps protect the individuals from being used in schemes.
With fraud victims being able to act, it will help them get justice with schemers who have done them wrong regarding their identity.
With the different schemes, it’s easy to get caught up if you aren’t aware of what’s happening. Florida’s efforts at cracking down on these offenses will hopefully save victims of fraud by allowing schemers to face inevitable consequences. These increased penalties could protect victims, and they can get the justice they deserve for being used in specific schemes.