VIDEO: Attorney General Moody Hosts Cryptocurrency Scams Symposium in The Villages and Recognizes Florida’s Top Senior Sleuths

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Release Date
Jun 21, 2024
Contact
Kylie Mason
Phone
(850) 245-0150

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today hosted a Cryptocurrency Scams Symposium in The Villages. During the event, Attorney General Moody’s Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit provided information to avoid falling victim to cryptocurrency schemes. Following the symposium, Attorney General Moody recognized Florida’s top Seniors vs. Crime volunteers with the Senior Sleuth Awards. 

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Fraudsters are targeting seniors with cryptocurrency scams. To help protect older Floridians, we hosted a symposium in The Villages to teach seniors how to spot, avoid and report these schemes. The best way to stop fraud is to make sure potential targets are equipped with the information they need to avoid falling prey, and through our efforts today, more Florida seniors have the tools they need to protect their money from fraudsters.”  

The Cryptocurrency Scam Symposium, presented by Attorney General Moody’s Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit, covered the dangers of online fraud, focusing on how to avoid falling for crypto schemes. The CFEU is a team of criminal and civil attorneys who work with Florida Department of Law Enforcement analysts and other law enforcement agencies to prosecute cybercrimes statewide. In the past nine months, CFEU seized $2.5 million in losses belonging to seniors who were defrauded by cryptocurrency scams. 

Check out Attorney General Moody’s Scams at a Glance: Cryptocurrency Scams here. 

Following the symposium, Attorney General Moody recognized top Seniors vs. Crime volunteers. Seniors vs. Crime works with volunteers, called Seniors Sleuths, and aims to reduce the victimization of older Floridians who are targeted for specific crimes or scams based on age. The following five volunteers are recognized as Super Senior Sleuths for 2022-2023: 

•    Martin Zeintz, SvC Region 1: Port St. Lucie office;
•    John McLaughlin, SvC Region 2: Venice office; 
•    Agnes Briggs, SvC Region 3: Volusia office; 
•    Edward Kelly, SvC Region 4: Wildwood office; and 
•    Sharen Steele, SvC Region 5: Navarre office. 

The Senior Sleuth Advocate of the Year is John McLaughlin. After retiring from the Philadelphia Police Department as a lieutenant, McLaughlin began volunteering as a Senior Sleuth, logging more than 10 years of service. As a former law enforcement officer living in a retirement community, McLaughlin quickly recognized the need to assist seniors and soon became the manager in the very productive Venice Seniors vs. Crime office. McLaughlin diligently continued working from home to assist seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic, inspiring other sleuths to keep up efforts to protect older Floridians. McLaughlin’s case history boasts impressive numbers, including a $43,000 recovery. 

Since 2019, the Seniors vs. Crime teams are responsible for recovering more than $10.5 million for older Floridians. 

To view the 2023 Seniors vs. Crime Annual Report, click here. 

To learn more about Seniors vs. Crime, click here.

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