SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S NOVEMBER 2024 FRAUD ALERT: “WE’VE SPOTTED FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY…”
On a personal note, few things trouble me more than hard working individuals…especially seniors…losing their life savings to fraudulent activity. Individuals toil for decades, scrimping and saving, hoping to gather savings for their retirement. Decades of savings can be lost in a matter of minutes. While there are variations to this criminal act, it generally […]
SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S OCTOBER 2024 FRAUD ALERT: AVOIDING CONTRACTOR FRAUD AND UNLICENSED CONTRACTORS
Lee County has suffered significant storm damage over the course of two years. Compounding the sadness and frustration felt when one’s home is damaged or destroyed is attempting to repair and rebuild quickly and efficiently. Our county is extremely fortunate to be home to some of the finest contractors in the nation; many of whom […]
SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S SEPTEMBER 2024 FRAUD ALERT: QR CODE SCAMS
QR codes, “Quick Response Codes,” are all around us. These square, black and white boxes allow businesses to quickly direct you to their web site, can track product information in a supply chain, link us to applications as well as store financial information. The uses for these codes are nearly limitless as they store a […]
SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S AUGUST 2024 FRAUD ALERT: FRAUDULENT JOB OFFERINGS
Following the pandemic, an enormous segment of the workforce was offered an opportunity to work from home…many never wishing to return to the office environment. “Work from home” opportunities began to appear nearly everywhere…online, via text and in print. Many of these job offerings were legitimate opportunities to generate income from home. Many were opportunities […]
SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S JULY 2024 FRAUD ALERT: PREVENTING OTHERS FROM APPLYING FOR CREDIT CARDS IN YOUR NAME
Protecting one’s personal identity and avoiding falling victim to credit card fraud has become challenging for the average individual. While credit card fraud often involves the theft of an individual’s personal information and creation of duplicate credit cards, a trend appears to have become popular where criminals steal credit card applications from a victim’s mailbox, […]
SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S JUNE 2024 FRAUD ALERT: AVOIDING IMMIGRATION ASSISTANCE SCAMS
Many of those immigrating to the United States are unfamiliar with official titles, government websites and procedures as well as immigration law. As a result, criminals prey upon these individuals in an effort to steal and defraud. These practices are disheartening and disgraceful and they make an already difficult procedure even more tedious. Often referring […]
SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S MAY 2024 FRAUD ALERT: AVOIDING HOME RENTAL SCAMS
Your search for an apartment or rental home has been tedious and disheartening. Rental prices and availability make the process extremely frustrating. The often difficult search for an affordable home or apartment to rent…in a suitable location…and the struggles encountered by renters…has caught the attention of scammers prepared to make you an offer that will […]
SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S APRIL 2024 FRAUD ALERT: SUNPASS TEXT SCAM
You may have received this text message or one very similar: “We’ve detected a $3.95 charge for your recent usage of the Florida Express Lanes. To avoid extra fees, please settle your balance today. Click here to make your payment…” The text message appears legitimate, as does the attached link. The message, however, is fraudulent […]
SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S MARCH 2024 FRAUD ALERT: HOSTAGE SCAM CALLS
Nationwide, victims are reaching out to law enforcement agencies regarding horrific phone calls indicating that a member of the family has been abducted by a Mexican drug cartel. Calls may come from a VoIP source which digitizes audio and transmits it over the internet or may simply appear as a standard local or out-of-area phone […]
SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S FEBRUARY 2024 FRAUD ALERT: 2023 FRAUD NUMBERS ARE IN.
The Federal Trade Commission works diligently, throughout the year, to both document consumer fraud incidents, as well as to notify law enforcement of current trends and activities. The information is stored in a secure database called the “Consumer Sentinel Network” and available to law enforcement agencies only. This information is extremely valuable and we pass […]