TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CBS12) — Twelve people were arrested in May after Florida investigators uncovered more than $806,000 in public assistance fraud, according to Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia.
The Florida Department of Financial Services announced on June 15 that its Criminal Investigations Division (CID) identified $487,728 in fraud tied to the arrests, with an additional $318,895 uncovered through administrative cases that resulted in penalties such as benefit disqualifications.
“If you think you can scheme your way into profiting off of public assistance benefits, think again,” Ingoglia said in a statement, adding that the state will continue efforts to hold offenders accountable and protect taxpayer-funded programs.
Authorities said the largest individual case involved more than $221,000 in fraud tied to SNAP and Medicaid benefits.
Those arrested in May include:
- Alexis Rivero…
This remains the most prevalent form of financial crime globally. It targets the direct access points to your money: your cards and your bank accounts.
- Skimming: Criminals use small devices called “skimmers” placed over ATM or point-of-sale card slots to capture the data from your card’s magnetic strip.
- Card-Not-Present (CNP) Fraud: This occurs during online shopping where a physical card isn’t required. Thieves use stolen card numbers, expiry dates, and CVV codes to make unauthorized purchases.
- Account Takeover (ATO): A hacker gains access to your online banking credentials (often through malware or phishing) and changes the contact details or passwords, locking you out while they drain your funds.