This week, we hosted a Cryptocurrency Scams Symposium in The Villages and recognized the top Seniors vs. Crime volunteers.

Florida is proud to be home to more than 5.5 million seniors. Unfortunately, there are bad actors who try to prey on older Floridians. Our Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit presented to seniors at the symposium about how to avoid falling victim to cryptocurrency scams.

Protecting Florida’s seniors is one of our top priorities, and we are also grateful for all our Senior Sleuth volunteers’ efforts on behalf of older Floridians.

Last year, Senior Sleuths assisted more than 9,100 Florida seniors, put in more than 11,200 hours of free services and recovered more than $2.6 million. Since 2019, Seniors vs. Crime is responsible for recovering more than $10.5 million.

At the end of the symposium, we named five Super Senior Sleuths, one from each region of Florida for their outstanding work for their fellow seniors.

We also recognized our Senior Sleuth Advocate of the Year, John McLaughlin. Logging more than 10 years as a Seniors vs. Crime volunteer, John uses his background as a law enforcement officer to assist seniors and solve high-value cases. 

By assisting those who have been taken advantage of and teaching seniors how to protect themselves from scams and exploitation, we are continuing to build a Stronger, Safer Florida.