Week In Review

National Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week is coming to an end, but our fight to stop the deadly opioid crisis that is claiming 17 lives a day in Florida continues. Since my first day in office, we have been laser focused on combating the opioid crisis and this crucial…

Florida is home to some of the finest law enforcement men and women in our country, and we should never lose sight of the fact that our safety and security come at a tremendous price. Eighteen years ago this week, we learned just how quickly that security can be taken from us, and how selflessly…

Hurricane Dorian is a deadly storm, and thankfully Florida was spared a direct hit. But sadly, our friends in the Bahamas have experienced loss and devastation. Parts of the Bahamas were destroyed as Dorian hovered over the chain of islands for two days—lives were lost, and entire neighborhoods…

Hurricane Dorian is headed in our direction, and Floridians need to prepare now. If you haven’t already, stock up on food and water, know evacuation routes and take steps to guard against scams. One of the most common storm-related scams we see is price gouging. During a declared state of…

This week, we issued a Consumer Alert about scams targeting victims of the Equifax data breach, the largest credit-reporting data breach in our nation’s history—affecting more than half of the adults in the country. Following a multistate investigation, my office entered into a historic $600…

This week, millions of Florida students headed back to school. The beginning of a new school year is an exciting time, but it can also be stressful and overwhelming. To help families start the school year on the right track, we launched our #BacktoSchoolOAG campaign. This week-long campaign is…

Automotive fraud scams drivers out of their hard-earned money and makes our roadways less safe. Nationwide, odometer rollbacks alone are responsible for an estimated $1 billion in lost value annually. These illegal rollbacks also prevent drivers from pursuing important maintenance and service…

In recent years, we have seen increased efforts to try to demonize our law enforcement heroes. These disingenuous attacks can influence our youth and create a chasm between law enforcement and the communities they have sworn an oath to protect. It is vital to our state that we do everything in…

Supporting law enforcement is very important to me and I have made it one of my office’s top priorities. I always enjoy working with deputies and officers and learning about recent cases or just parts of their everyday life. I want our law enforcement partners to know that our state fully…

Our fact-gathering mission to find out what is behind a dramatic increase in teen vaping in Florida continued. According to the Florida Department of Health, e-cigarette use among high school students increased 78 percent from 2017 to 2018. We want to know why, and more importantly how to…

Our military members risk their lives in service to our country. Sadly, while they are deployed overseas, and even after they retire from service, scammers may target them to try to make a dishonest dollar. July is Military Consumer Protection Month, and in recognition of the month, I launched…

This week, registration opened for our 2019 Human Trafficking Summit. The annual Summit brings together local, state and national leaders working to eradicate all forms of human trafficking. Bringing together leaders in this important fight to share ideas and discuss innovative interdiction…

Robocalls are a growing problem nationwide. Not only are they annoying, the calls are often part of a scam designed to trick consumers into parting with their hard-earned cash. My office is working diligently with our federal partners to stop these illegal calls, and this week, we joined the…

Planning for our 2019 Human Trafficking Summit is underway, and we are accepting nominations now for this year’s Summit awards. Florida is fortunate to have so many people dedicated to the fight to end human trafficking and help trafficking survivors heal. I look forward to recognizing some of…

This week, we hosted our first ever Senior Scam Stopper Workshop and Awards. It was inspiring to see so many Floridians dedicated to our mission to protect Floridians. Teaching seniors how to spot scams and report fraud is an extremely effective tool to prevent exploitation. A vital partner in…

Hurricane season is underway, and Floridians need to prepare now to make sure they have a plan, food, water and the tools to survive when a storm arrives. Following recent storms, many businesses donated essentials and helped Floridians obtain the supplies they needed to weather the storm. Sadly…

The 2019 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins this weekend. To help Floridians get ready, I am releasing the latest edition of our Hurricane Preparedness Guide. The guide is full of tips and checklists to help better prepare you and your family for a hurricane, as well as, information to help…

Our Back the Blue Campaign continues to highlight individuals that take extraordinary steps to further build positive relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve. This week, I traveled to Fort Myers to present a Back the Blue Award to School Resource Officer Donna Aiossa…

This week, I hosted the first of four discussions in our Mental Health and Criminal Justice Summer Round Table Series. The series is focused on identifying best practices and innovative strategies to help improve how Florida’s criminal justice system addresses individuals suffering from mental…

Florida continues to rank third in the nation in the number of calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. This horrific crime is plaguing our state and we must remain vigilant on combatting this modern-day slavery. Taking an active role in this fight is especially crucial with the Super…