Floridians fed up with nonstop scam calls and texts may soon see tougher penalties if Attorney General James Uthmeier gets his way.
“If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been on the receiving end of nonstop calls and texts” pitching potential rip-offs, Uthmeier said during a news conference in Pembroke Pines.
As a result, Uthmeier said his Office is drafting proposals he wants lawmakers to consider during the 2027 Legislative Session. He said his Office has already nailed several scams but the final punishment is often minimal with misdemeanor charges. Uthmeier wants the state to beef up sentences.
“This is a heightened priority for us,” Uthmeier said. “We also need new legislation to crack down.”
He said those scams include bogus campaigns for law enforcement fundraisers, fake jury duty requests, and false claims that police are going to arrest residents. And there are countless others.
“That needs to be a heightened felony with mandatory jail time,” Uthmeier said.
While Uthmeier wants more government action, he said he would like to put pressure on communications companies that own platforms where the fraud is taking place.
“We also want to put legal requirements on the telecommunications providers … that they cut off an unlawful campaign,” Uthmeier said. “They need to take deliberate action to shut it down.”
Uthmeier said a statewide alert campaign would help Floridians become more aware of cellphone scams. He’s preparing to ask the Legislature to commit to some form of public awareness campaign or public service announcements.
“We need to prosecute them. We need to hold them accountable. But we also need to make sure the public is aware of what’s going on,” Uthmeier said.
Click Here For The Original Source.
