Elder Options Elder Abuse Project Coordinator Leslie Andrews,
ASO Deputy Cary Gallop, ASO Captain Steve Maynard, ASO Detective Travis Parsons
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Elder Options used a press conference this morning to warn residents about the growing threat of scams, encouraging anyone who receives a suspicious call or message to hang up immediately and report it. Officials also cautioned that scam activity in the area is projected to rise by 25% from 2025 to 2026.
ASO Public Information Officer Lisa Sacaccio, who led the briefing, described scams as one of the fastest-expanding types of crime. She noted that many residents have already encountered calls or texts demanding payment for fake jury duty violations, supposed arrest warrants, or unpaid tolls. Sacaccio also pointed to romance scams, where criminals slowly build trust with a victim before eventually asking for money.
Sheriff Scott: Scammers are becoming more sophisticated, and victims should not be ashamed
Sheriff Chad Scott said today’s scammers are using more polished, believable, and damaging tactics than ever before. “These criminals are constantly evolving their tactics, using technology and exploiting fear, trust, urgency, and even love to manipulate their victims,” Scott said. He emphasized that victims should not feel embarrassed about coming forward, explaining that these schemes are designed to be persuasive and that every report gives investigators another piece of information that can help identify patterns and shut scammers down.
Leslie Andrews, Elder Abuse Project Coordinator with Florida Elder Options, said public awareness remains one of the most important tools for preventing financial exploitation and other scam-related harm.
Scammers create pressure and urgency
ASO Detective Travis Parsons said scam artists often try to make victims feel panicked and alone. They may keep someone on the phone for hours, warn them not to contact family or friends, or claim something terrible will happen if they speak to anyone else. Parsons said the goal is usually to pressure the victim into paying quickly, often through gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other hard-to-trace methods.
ASO Captain Steve Maynard said it’s important to understand that these scammers have a lot of information about you, and they use it to make you think you can trust them.
Hang up the phone and call the agency or office directly
Andrews added, “If someone is calling you, saying that they are a government official or law enforcement, please verify that. Hang up the phone, call them directly, and verify it.”
ASO Deputy Cary Gallop, who works in Crime Prevention, said scammers can even spoof valid phone numbers, so the victim’s phone might say that the call comes from the Sheriff’s Office, a business, or a relative, for example. He said, “Make sure you hang up the phone. Don’t hit redial; look up our number and dial it yourself.”
Detective Parsons said the jury duty warrant scam “is a nationwide epidemic at this point.” He also spoke about “courier scams,” in which the scammer asks the victim to buy gold and give it to a courier.
Limit public information on social media profiles
Andrews said romance scammers use information found on social media to target victims; she advised everyone to check their social media settings and “make sure that your phone number on there is not visible, your email is not visible, and try to limit your information on there as much as possible.”
Fraud is expected to top $8.6 million in Alachua County in 2026
Maynard said the financial losses from theft, burglary, robbery, and property damage add up to about $2 million per year in Alachua County, but white-collar crime, scams, and fraud are projected to result in losses of over $8 million in 2026, just in Alachua County. Andrews added that the National Center for Elder Abuse estimates that 44 cases go unreported for each scam that is reported, so that number is probably low.
Elderly people are more likely to be targeted (about 51% of local victims in 2026 have been above the age of 60), but victims can be any age, particularly with the jury duty warrant scam.
Don’t worry about being rude to callers
Deputy Gallop said that because so many organizations gather information about customers and then sell those lists, it’s best not to answer the phone call in the first place, and don’t worry about being rude to callers you don’t know. He recommended that everyone (but particularly elderly people) have someone they trust to provide advice when they receive a phone call or message that asks for money.
Trust your sixth sense
Detective Parsons said, “Trust your sixth sense.” Victims should ask themselves whether the call or message was expected and what the caller is asking for. Watch out for someone who asks you to pay money to avoid something bad and also tells you it needs to happen right away. Parsons added, “If you try to hang up,… do they become irate? Do they pressure you more? That’s because they’re trying to prevent you from verifying that… they’re trying to steal your money.”
Regarding job offers, Parsons said, “If it seems too good to be true, it typically is.” He specifically mentioned fraudulent job offers that involve the victim in money laundering or otherwise helping an ongoing criminal enterprise.
Captain Maynard said another red flag is when the scammer gives you advice to help you explain why you’re taking so much money out of your account. For example, the scammer might tell the victim to say it’s for a vacation: “Why would someone who is a trusted person tell you to lie to the bank teller? That should be a red flag, right?”
Andrews pointed out that a sense of urgency shuts down critical thinking.
Report the scam immediately
Detective Parsons said if you think you’re being scammed, you should hang up, and you don’t have to confront the scammer: “You don’t have to worry about keeping them on the line so we can try to trace the phone call… Just hang up the phone.” Victims should also save “every scrap of communication or receipts… And once you hang up that phone, call 911… The sooner it gets reported, the better chance we have to investigate it,… and if you have suffered loss, the sooner we can get the right resources to you in order to care for you after this traumatic event.”
Parsons said that in the past, most of these crimes originated overseas, but that’s no longer the case, and investigators have more tools than they used to; he said the sooner he learns about a scam, the more likely it is that he will be able to recover the funds or bring the scammer to justice.
Captain Maynard said law enforcement has been reaching out to the banking industry in an effort to encourage tellers to help prevent scams by asking questions when individuals withdraw a large amount of money.
Ask for more information
Andrews said that if a potential victim is unsure whether a call is legitimate, they can ask for written verification of the reason for calling, they can ask for time to consult someone, and they can ask for a call-back number: “Typically, that scammer is going to resist all three.”
Approach everything with a healthy dose of skepticism
Detective Parsons said it’s important to understand that scams can happen to anyone and to approach everything with “a healthy dose of skepticism.” He added that younger people can help by staying in touch with elderly family members and notifying law enforcement if they fear the relative has been contacted by a scammer; he said deputies are more than happy to talk to the potential victim and take that burden off the family member.
Call 352-955-1818 if you think you’re being scammed
Deputy Gallop said he would rather get involved too early than too late, and he recommended calling ASO’s non-emergency line if you have any questions about a potential scam: 352-955-1818, Option 5. Andrews also provided the Elder Options helpline: 1-800-262-2243.
AI can use voice samples from your voicemail greeting
Responding to a question about whether AI is being used by scammers, Deputy Gallop said the FTC put out a notification that AI apps can use your voicemail greeting to duplicate your voice and call your relatives, pretending to be you. He said the FTC recommends removing your voice from your voicemail greeting and developing passcodes or safe words with family members.
Sheriff Scott concluded by saying his office takes these crimes very seriously, and he emphasized again that everyone is a potential victim.
