This week, I announced the creation of the Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit to combat cybercrime in Florida. The unit includes criminal and civil attorneys within my office who work with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and other law enforcement agencies to help solve online criminal activity.
Internet-based crime is one of the fastest growing security threats we face. In the first half of last year alone, more than 53 million Americans were affected by cybercrime. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, more than 40,000 Floridians lost nearly $845 million to cybercrimes in 2022. And according to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, 47 percent of Americans have had their personal information exposed to cybercriminals.
Investigating online crime takes a great amount of time and resources. As cybercrime increases, the enforcement gap continues to grow as federal agencies often focus attention on cases involving multimillion-dollar losses, leaving small businesses and Floridians victimized to a lesser degree with a smaller path to recourse.
Noticing this gap in enforcement, I worked with legislative leaders and our law enforcement partners to build a team to help fill that void in our state and protect Floridians from emerging high-tech schemes.
The unit is already working hard and recovering hundreds of thousands of dollars for victims. Just last week, we took down a complex cybercrime ring that used cryptocurrency and illicit websites to launder money and exploit massive amounts of stolen identities.
If you become a victim of cybercrime, immediately:
- Secure devices by changing all passwords;
- Preserve evidence by taking screenshots;
- Report the crime to FDLE’s Computer Crime Center;
- If the crime involved unauthorized access to financial accounts, notify the bank and credit card company;
- Freeze credit; and
- Update antivirus, firewall and security software.
With our Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit combating online illicit activity and shutting down cybercriminals’ operations, we are building a Stronger, Safer Florida.
Ashley Moody is a the attorney general of Florida.