Tag: florida department of agriculture and consumer services

While no charity fraud complaints have been filed with the Attorney General's Office at this time, Moody offered a reminder to anyone donating to the victims of the Surfside building collapse to remain alert and on guard against scammers looking to exploit this disaster for personal gain.

The Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award recognizes agricultural producers who demonstrate leadership in developing and implementing innovative techniques to safeguard the environment and conserve natural resources.

With rental car availability at an all-time low, prices are sky-high. If consumers suddenly find an available car at a cheap price, it may be a scammer looking to cash in on the rental shortage. Scammers are posing as rental car companies, setting up their own websites, and advertising fake customer service phone numbers, all to convince travelers they’re legit. Then, they’re asking people to pre-pay for the rental — with a gift card or prepaid debit card.

These issues include the recently-reported cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline serving North Florida, fuel terminal issues in the Pensacola area and shortages of fuel truck driver availability.

On Monday, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried held a press conference at a RaceTrac gas station in Hialeah to share tips on avoiding credit card skimmers and fraud, and to discuss legislation to improve consumer safety at the gas pump.

3.5 million Floridians suffer from chronic hunger, including 1 million children – yet approximately 40 percent of the food produced in America goes to waste. This wasted food becomes the single largest category of trash in municipal landfills and the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions.

Fried applauded a decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to issue a nationwide extension of several waivers that allow all children to continue to receive nutritious meals this summer when schools are out of session. These flexibilities are now available through September 30, 2021.

“The challenges of COVID-19 include a heightened risk of identity theft. Scammers, thieves, and imposters are taking advantage of vulnerabilities brought on from unemployment claims, government-sponsored small business loan programs, and other forms of identity theft,” said Fried.

“It is an honor to have many of my fellow Senators, as well as leaders in our communities and state, serve in these important capacities,” said Simpson on Friday. “I have full confidence that they will diligently and effectively represent the Florida Senate and the state of Florida.”

Fried was joined by seasonal crop growers, industry associations, and Florida’s congressional delegation in calling for an end to unfair trade practices that have harmed Florida’s seasonal produce industry for decades.

Since entering the U.S. market in 2009, Mexico’s market share for blueberries has skyrocketed by 2,100 percent, while Florida’s market share has decreased by 38 percent since 2015.

October 2020 saw the highest number of CWL applications in Florida history, with 38,349 new CWL applications received in addition to 8,590 CWL renewal applications. FDACS has received at least 36,000 new CWL applications every month since July 2020, with the department projected to process a record 305,043 new applications and 143,749 renewal applications in 2020. FDACS is currently processing approximately 10,000 CWL applications per week.