Phishing scams are skyrocketing in the U.S., and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson’s Office is offering some helpful tips for how Floridians can avoid falling victim to them.
In a new advisory, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is warning consumers to be on high alert for what it calls a “growing wave of email subscription scams.”
The fraudulent emails often appear as if they’re coming from popular subscription services — Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and other web-based platforms — and use scare tactics, like claiming a user’s account has been locked or payment failed.
“These scams look real — but they’re designed to trick you into taking the bait and handing over sensitive information,” Simpson said in a statement.
“We want Floridians to recognize the red flags and protect themselves before they click.”
FDACS offered the following tips to spot phishing scams:
— Check the sender’s email address. Scammers often use addresses that look official but aren’t. If the email didn’t come from the service’s verified domain, don’t trust it.
— Look for spelling and grammar mistakes. “Reputable companies don’t send sloppy emails,” FDACS said.
— Be cautious with links. If an email, text or pop-up message asks for personal or financial information, do not reply or open the link in the message. “Legitimate companies don’t ask for this information via email.”
— Beware of urgent language. “Phrases like ‘Your account will be locked!’ are designed to make you panic and act quickly without thinking.”
— Go straight to the source. “When in doubt, open the app or type the website directly into your browser. Never click through an email you weren’t expecting.”
FDACS said consumers who believe they received a scam email or were targeted by a phishing scheme to report it to the Division of Consumer services online or by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA.
In the first quarter of 2025, reported phishing scams increased 466% globally, according to Arizona- and Prague-based cybersecurity and digital safety company Gen Digital. The company, formerly known as Norton LifeLock, also found personal information breaches shot up 186% and fake browser update scams jumped 17 times the previous quarter’s levels.
In April, the FBI reported $16 billion in U.S. losses due to internet crimes in 2024, a 33% increase from the previous year.
The top three cybercrimes in 2024 by number of complaints were phishing/spoofing, extortion and personal data breaches. Victims of investment fraud, specifically those involving cryptocurrency, reported the most losses.
Most complaints originated from California, Texas and Florida.
Post Views: 0