Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in GainsvilleHotter and drier Wednesday with a few inland storms this afternoon
Gainsville Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Gainsville Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Gainsville.
The Weather Authority Hotter and drier Wednesday with a few inland storms this afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a mild and drier Wednesday morning with rain expected inland this afternoon.
Cape Coral City Council to discuss repairs for yacht club pier The Cape Coral City Council will discuss and possibly decide upon three options to repair the damaged yacht club pier.
LEHIGH ACRES Kitchen fire causes substantial damage to a home in Lehigh Acres The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue responded to a kitchen fire at a Sunset Boulevard home on Tuesday night.
FORT MYERS Lee County making changes to fix bus issues In the past, the Lee County School District struggled to find enough bus drivers.
NAPLES Naples man gets original Bob Ross paintings appraised Bob Ross took this blank canvas in a small studio in Muncie, Indiana, and transformed it into a beautiful masterpiece.
Lee Schools board considers full-day phone bans The biggest talking point in a Lee County School District safety presentation wasn’t about violence or drugs, it was about phones
PORT CHARLOTTE Fallen officer ceremony in Charlotte County commemorates those who lost lives in line of duty The emotional ceremony was held at the William R. Gains Veterans Memorial Park in Port Charlotte.
SAN CARLOS PARK Lee County couple suspected of drugging and sexually abusing child Neighbors say a home in San Carlos Park was just another house before Tuesday.
PINE ISLAND FDOT asking you if bike and pedestrian lanes should be added to busy road The Florida Department of Transportation is asking you if bike and pedestrian lanes should be added to the busy road.
Food drive for mental health awareness While someone may look healthy, they may be fighting a real inner battle.
FORT MYERS Overbilled for overflow of water; Residents stuck with hefty water bill The Moore’s make ends meet living at The Cove for almost a year.
ESTERO Scoreless Eagle up for award at NIL Summit FGCU’s Brandon Dwyer is one of the big time performers in NIL despite having never scored a single point in his entire Eagle career.
What happens after a nuisance alligator is captured? For alligators, the month of May means we are in the heart of mating season in the Sunshine State.
Exclusive: Interview with woman who shares hope of recovery on National Fentanyl Awareness Day Lee County Sheriff’s Office said that in 2020 they seized nearly two thousand grams of fentanyl. In 2023, that number jumped to over 8,000.
Gainsville Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Gainsville Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Gainsville.
The Weather Authority Hotter and drier Wednesday with a few inland storms this afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a mild and drier Wednesday morning with rain expected inland this afternoon.
Cape Coral City Council to discuss repairs for yacht club pier The Cape Coral City Council will discuss and possibly decide upon three options to repair the damaged yacht club pier.
LEHIGH ACRES Kitchen fire causes substantial damage to a home in Lehigh Acres The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue responded to a kitchen fire at a Sunset Boulevard home on Tuesday night.
FORT MYERS Lee County making changes to fix bus issues In the past, the Lee County School District struggled to find enough bus drivers.
NAPLES Naples man gets original Bob Ross paintings appraised Bob Ross took this blank canvas in a small studio in Muncie, Indiana, and transformed it into a beautiful masterpiece.
Lee Schools board considers full-day phone bans The biggest talking point in a Lee County School District safety presentation wasn’t about violence or drugs, it was about phones
PORT CHARLOTTE Fallen officer ceremony in Charlotte County commemorates those who lost lives in line of duty The emotional ceremony was held at the William R. Gains Veterans Memorial Park in Port Charlotte.
SAN CARLOS PARK Lee County couple suspected of drugging and sexually abusing child Neighbors say a home in San Carlos Park was just another house before Tuesday.
PINE ISLAND FDOT asking you if bike and pedestrian lanes should be added to busy road The Florida Department of Transportation is asking you if bike and pedestrian lanes should be added to the busy road.
Food drive for mental health awareness While someone may look healthy, they may be fighting a real inner battle.
FORT MYERS Overbilled for overflow of water; Residents stuck with hefty water bill The Moore’s make ends meet living at The Cove for almost a year.
ESTERO Scoreless Eagle up for award at NIL Summit FGCU’s Brandon Dwyer is one of the big time performers in NIL despite having never scored a single point in his entire Eagle career.
What happens after a nuisance alligator is captured? For alligators, the month of May means we are in the heart of mating season in the Sunshine State.
Exclusive: Interview with woman who shares hope of recovery on National Fentanyl Awareness Day Lee County Sheriff’s Office said that in 2020 they seized nearly two thousand grams of fentanyl. In 2023, that number jumped to over 8,000.
MGN Online LEE COUNTY, Fla.- Intimidating phone calls have thousands of people falling for a scam. Criminals impersonating IRS Agents are threatening people with court and even jail if they don’t pay up. The scam is happening in Southwest Florida. Several people have e-mailed WINK News asking for help. One viewer recorded the call. Florean Tipton says she’s gotten the calls twice a day since Monday. She thought right away it was a scam, but after they kept calling back she thought it might be the real deal. The call appears to come from a 202 area code, which is Washington, DC. However, scammers are able to alter caller ID numbers to make it look like the IRS is calling. In most cases, the IRS believes the callers are outside the U.S. The caller left Tipton a voicemail saying it was urgent and to call back right away before the case is “loaded into the courthouse.” At the end of the recording, the caller says “goodby and God bless you.” Tipton and her husband, who have never filed late or missed a payment, knew it was a red flag. “So many people use that to get the trust from people and the IRS is not going to do that,” said Tipton. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has received 50 calls about this scam in just the last month. Fraud specialist Beth Schell believes the number is closer to 500 for the last six month. “I can assure you that the IRS is not going to call you and tell you that you’re going to be arrested. It doesn’t work that way,” said Schell. The IRS will also never ask you for money over the phone. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration has received reports from close to 290,000 people since October 2013. An estimated 3,000 people have become victims paying out over $14 million as a result of this scam. In Tipton’s case, she called the number back and hasn’t heard from the scammer since. However, experts say that’s risky. “We don’t encourage people to get into a debate with them or try to scam them, because they actually see that as a challenge and the best thing to do is just hang up,” Schell said. Call the Fraud Hotline If you receive a call from someone claiming to be the IRS, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office asks you to report it to their Fraud Hotline at (239) 258-3293 so they can track the scam locally. File an online complaint Anyone who thinks they may have been a target should report it to the Federal Trade Commission here.