Ashley Moody launches outreach initiative to help identify robocall scams

Attorney General Ashley Moody is releasing a new initiative to help Floridians identify robotext and robocall scams.

The new outreach initiative, aptly named Scams at a Glance, will be housed on the Florida Attorney General’s website and contain information about common and emerging scams. The resource hub will also include information about spoofing and phishing, and will provide a checklist to aid Floridians in spotting bad actors. Some of the tips listed on the website include not click on links in text messages from unknown numbers, avoiding answering texts from unrecognized senders, and refusing to provide personal or financial information to unexpected or unsolicited calls..

“Robotexts are now outpacing robocalls, and in many ways these scam messages are more concerning, as they can contain links with malware—leading to hacking, identity theft and financial loss. To help Floridians avoid fraudulent schemes related to these automated messages, I am releasing Scams at a Glance: Robotexts and Robocalls. This resource is full of information about how to spot scam messages to avoid being hacked,” Moody said on Monday.

According to a recent report, spam robotexts outnumbered spam robocalls last year, with Americans receiving more than 87 billion of these texts compared to 72 billion calls. Losses from scams related to automated messages totaled more than $40 billion in 2021. 

In a press release, Moody noted that Scams at a Glance brochures will be free and easy to share with all citizens, including seniors or those without internet access.

Since the launch of the program, Moody added that more than a dozen specialized resource brochures have been released to the public. All of the downloadable trifolds will be available in both English and Spanish and include tips for avoiding fraud and common scams.