Spot it. Hang up. Put it on the docket.

The problem

What Florida is being hit with

Unsolicited commercial calls and texts overwhelm Florida numbers. Campaigns impersonate agencies and banks, manipulate caller ID, and send fake warrants, court papers, and government notices by text and email.

Synthetic and AI-generated voices now request money and personal information without disclosure. Phone and SIM farms let operators blast thousands of numbers from one room. Illegally obtained records keep the spam machine running.

Fake warrants

A real court does not text a warrant

Scammers spoof a local sheriff or clerk, claim a bench warrant or missed jury duty, and demand a fine by phone, gift card, or crypto. The Attorney General has said it plainly: if law enforcement is calling about a warrant, do not respond on that call.

Hang up. Look up the published non-emergency number for your county sheriff or clerk — not the number on caller ID. Ask if there is a warrant. There will not be. Then file the script with 1-866-9NO-SCAM.

Toll texts

SunPass, CFX, MDX, and the Turnpike

Florida’s unpaid-toll texts are a factory product: an ‘invoice,’ a short link, a threat of a plate hold or collections. Official agencies do not harvest payment that way.

Type sunpass.com or your expressway authority’s real site yourself. If you do not have a transponder or unpaid trip, ignore it. Forward the text to 7726 and add it to your docket.

AI voices

If it sounds official and never blinks

The proposed Florida Anti-Spam Communications Act treats undisclosed AI voices used to obtain money as communications fraud. You do not need the bill to protect yourself today.

Do not answer ‘yes’ on a recording. Do not stay on the line. Note ‘synthetic / prerecorded, no disclosure’ in your complaint so investigators can tag the campaign.

Spoofing

Your area code is not a character reference

Neighbor spoofing puts a number that looks like yours on the caller ID so you pick up. Phone farms rotate prefixes in 772, 561, 305, 407, 813 and the rest of the 23 Florida codes.

Let unknown local calls go to voicemail. Report spoofing to the FCC. Ask your carrier to turn on scam labeling (ActiveArmor, Call Filter, Scam Shield).

Opt-outs

Two Do Not Call lists, not one

Register at donotcall.gov and on Florida’s list at FDACS. Legitimate telemarketers must honor both. Scammers will not — which is why you still file.

Do not press 1 to opt out of a robocall. That confirms a live number and you get sold to the next farm. The proposed act would shrink opt-out from weeks to days; until then, register and report.

If you already paid

Same day, three desks

Tell your bank or card issuer. File IC3.gov. Call 1-866-9NO-SCAM. If gift cards, contact the card issuer’s fraud line with the numbers. Do not send more money to ‘release’ the first payment.