Attorney General Ashley Moody hosted a Cryptocurrency Scams Symposium in The Villages today. During the event, Moody’s Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit provided information to help attendees avoid falling victim to cryptocurrency schemes. Following the symposium, Moody recognized Florida’s top Seniors vs. Crime volunteers with the Senior Sleuth Awards.
Moody stated, “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 symposium covered various aspects of online fraud and focused on avoiding crypto schemes. The Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit (CFEU), consisting of criminal and civil attorneys working alongside Florida Department of Law Enforcement analysts and other agencies, has seized $2.5 million in losses from seniors defrauded by cryptocurrency scams over the past nine months.
Following the symposium, Moody recognized top Seniors vs. Crime volunteers known as Senior Sleuths. This initiative aims to reduce victimization among older Floridians targeted for age-specific crimes or scams. Five volunteers were honored 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
- Sharen Steele, SvC Region 5: Navarre office
John McLaughlin was named Senior Sleuth Advocate of the Year. After retiring from the Philadelphia Police Department as a lieutenant, McLaughlin began volunteering as a Senior Sleuth over ten years ago and now manages the Venice Seniors vs. Crime office. He continued assisting seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic by working from home and inspired other sleuths to maintain their efforts in protecting older Floridians. His case history includes an impressive $43,000 recovery.
Since 2019, Seniors vs. Crime teams have recovered more than $10.5 million for older Floridians.