Tag: Florida

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PRISON SENTENCE SECURED FOR SCAM ARTIST COMMITTING REAL ESTATE AND PROPERTY CRIMES

Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution secured a multi-year prison sentence for a scammer that committed multiple white-collar crimes involving real estate and advertising property. Tabria Josey, along with an accomplice, fraudulently listed underdeveloped plots of land with homebuilding or investment potential in several Florida counties. Josey stole from more than 40 victims, causing more than $300,000 in losses. 

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “This duo laid traps to gain the trust of potential buyers, forcing them to fork over a heavy down payment before cutting off all ties to line their pockets. I’m proud of my Office of Statewide Prosecution for taking down the ringleader of the operation, along with gaining restitution for the victims that suffered through this scheme.”

The duo listed properties on different websites, none Josey or the accomplice owned, for sale and posed as listing agents, sellers and/or representatives from a fictitious title company. Once a potential buyer made contact, Josey and the accomplice then convinced any victim interested in a property to wire money for a down payment and then cut off communications.

While the duo charged the majority of victims from $2,500 to $7,500, some lost between $15,000 to $25,000. More than $300,000 in restitution will be given back to the individual victims.

Josey primarily operated out of Palm Beach County, but fraudulently listed land property in all of the following counties: Flagler, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lee, Orange, Palm Beach and St. Lucie.

OSP filed the case in Lee County due to the fact that many of the victims and listed properties are in Lee County.

Josey pleaded guilty and is convicted of organized fraud in the first degree, organized fraud in the third degree, grand theft; a third-degree felony, aggravated white-collar crime; a first-degree felony, money laundering; a first-degree felony, and two counts of communications fraud in the third degree. 

Josey is sentenced to six years in prison, followed by nine years of probation. The other defendant’s case is still pending.

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Attorney General Moody Encourages Wise Giving to Ian Recovery Efforts During International Charity Fraud Awareness Week

As Florida continues rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Ian, Attorney General Moody is recognizing International Charity Fraud Awareness Week with wise-giving tips for people donating to recovery efforts. Many Floridians may wish to contribute to the continuing recovery effort from Hurricane Ian. More than $45 million donors have given to the Florida Disaster Fund alone. Generous Floridians must stay alert, as scammers often try to exploit disasters to rip off donors.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “This year’s International Charity Fraud Awareness Week comes as we continue to rebuild what Hurricane Ian destroyed. Generous Floridians and people across the country are contributing to the recovery efforts and we are so grateful for their support, but I want to remind those who want to give to watch out for charity scams and do some research before donating.”

Attorney General Moody is issuing the following tips to Floridians looking to give:

  • Research a charity before donating. Search the organization’s name with the word ‘scam’. Use CharityNavigator.org for further vetting;
  • When donating, use a credit card for extra protection;
  • Avoid aggressive solicitors and urgent deadlines;
  • Pay close attention to email addresses and website URLs—fraudulent sites will have slight changes from the legitimate sites;
  • Keep records of all donations and transactions; and
  • Do not click on any suspicious links in emails or text messages soliciting money or financial information, even if it seems like it is for a good cause.

Scammers may also target charitable organizations, especially after a disaster. A scammer could attack an organization’s cybersecurity systems in hopes of stealing donors’ identity or financial information, or may create an imposter organization that poaches donors from the true charity.

Florida charitable organizations can help prevent charity fraud by:

  • Investing in trusted cybersecurity systems and providing cybersecurity training for all employees;
  • Reviewing payment processing systems to double-check that it follows industry standards; and
  • Keeping all software up to date.

For additional information and tips for donating safely, check out Attorney General Moody’s Scams at a Glance: Charity Scams. To view, click here.

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CONSUMER ALERT: Beware of Charity Scams When Giving to Help Hurricane Sally Recovery Efforts

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is urging Floridians to use caution when donating to help those impacted by Hurricane Sally. As the recovery gets underway, charitable donations may be vital in helping restore the areas destroyed by the Category 2 storm. Attorney General Moody asks Floridians to take steps to ensure their donations actually reach those who need assistance and do not go to scammers using the crisis to steal from good-hearted donors.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Hurricane Sally ripped through the western part of the Florida Panhandle, leaving a path of destruction and flooding that will take some time to repair. Charitable donations will play an important role in the recovery efforts, and I am asking everyone giving to this worthy cause to please take steps to ensure donations go to those in need and not fraudsters selfishly exploiting the crisis.”

Anyone wishing to donate can follow these tips to help ensure donations are used to assist victims and communities recovering from Hurricane Sally:

  • Be proactive and donate to a reputable organization, rather than waiting to be solicited;
  • Research a charity using Charity Navigator and by checking with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at FDACS.gov or 1(800) HELP-FLA, to determine whether the charity is registered to solicit donations in Florida;
  • Avoid solicitors using high-pressure tactics or who hesitate to provide more information about a charitable organization;
  • If donating online, be sure to confirm the identity of the recipient and be careful when providing any personal contact information;
  • Be wary of charities with similar sounding names. Some phony charities may attempt to use names that resemble legitimate, well-known charities; and
  • Call the Florida Attorney General’s Office at 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance at 1(703) 276-0100 to determine if there are any complaints against a charity.

The state of emergency declared ahead of Hurricane Sally is still in effect and that means Florida’s price gouging law still applies to anyone who sells essential commodities or provides essential services to our consumers. For more on spotting and reporting price gouging, click here.

Earlier this week, Attorney General Moody warned those impacted by Hurricane Sally of potential for scams and other forms of fraud. Noting that after a natural disaster, consumers should be wary of tree service scams, building and home repair scams, disaster relief scams and water testing and treatment scams.