Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Attorney General Ashley Moody on Thursday urged Floridians to be wary of text messages offering a “free gift” for paying a bill on time.
According to the Better Business Bureau, there has been a rise in text message scams that try to entice recipients with gifts. They typically include links to websites that request personal information.
Moody urged Floridians not to click on links sent from unknown numbers, especially if they are offering gifts or money.
“Scammers will try anything to steal your personal information. Their latest trick is simple, but effective — the promise of a gift in exchange for personal information. Don’t fall for it. Never provide personal information in response to a solicitation or click on links contained in a suspicious message. Remember that if something seems too good to be true, then it’s probably a scam,” she said.
Recipients can also double check if a text is legitimate by looking up the phone number on the company’s official website or by contacting them at their listed number — not by replying to the suspicious texts.
To report a “free gift” text scam, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Report Fraud website.
Evening Reads
—“Florida Supreme Court hears gun law challenge amid national debate over restrictions” via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida
—“What’s next in Florida’s bid to restrict transition care for transgender kids” via Sam Ogozalek of the Tampa Bay Times
—“Florida permitless carry bill coming next Legislative Session, top Republican says” via Romy Ellenbogen and Kirby Wilson of the Tampa Bay Times
—“High hotel prices may be softening Florida’s tourist market boom” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics
—“Gov. Ron DeSantis decries ‘deafening’ media silence about threat to Brett Kavanaugh” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
—“Democrat Nikki Fried and local control over gun laws: ‘We should be talking about how to save lives’” via Michael Moline of the Florida Phoenix
—“More kids die from gun violence than anything else. The rate is only going up.“ via Brooke Baitinger of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
—“‘They are not going to shut us up.’ Cuban exiles vow to boycott if Radio Mambí is ‘silenced’” via Sarah Moreno of the Miami Herald
—“SD 5 race has all the ingredients of a ‘ghost candidate’ scheme” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics
—“Vaccines for the littlest kids have already flopped” via Katherine J. Wu of The Atlantic
—“Michigan gubernatorial candidate arrested on Jan. 6 Capitol riot charge” via Spencer S. Hsu, Aaron C. Davis, Amy B Wang and Devlin Barrett of The Washington Post
Quote of the Day
“This is a legislative fire hose to put out a birthday candle.”
— Attorney Edward Guedes, arguing against the ban on local gun control laws to the Florida Supreme Court.
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