Rich Kolko

The Federal Trade Commission said they’ve tracked more than 400,000 scams related to COVID-19 since the pandemic began, and consumers have lost nearly $400 million. Now, FTC officials said their ability to fight scammers has been dealt a devastating blow. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are trying to tackle an uptick in pandemic scams, including criminals […]

A man wanted for child abuse since October 2020 was found and arrested Thursday morning thanks to a tip sent to Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers. Within hours of receiving the tip, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals arrested North Fort Myers resident Bryan Vega Martinez, 29, in connection with an outstanding warrant […]

With more people getting vaccinated and traveling again, jobs are opening up around Southwest Florida. In fact, some places are even offering bonuses to fill the positions And crooks are cashing in on those looking to get hired again. Job seekers need to be on the lookout for the job that sounds just a little […]

The former employee who shot and killed eight people at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis was interviewed by FBI agents last year, after his mother called police to say that her son might commit “suicide by cop,” the bureau said Friday. Coroners began the slow process of identifying the victims as family members spent hours […]

As if losing a loved one to COVID-19 isn’t enough, crooks are now taking advantage of your pain. A warning has been issued about bad guys using a new federal program that helps families with COVID-19 funeral expenses to their advantage. The average cost of a funeral in the U.S. is about $9,000. Recent legislation […]

Many of us have experienced getting into a car crash but some criminals are making sure they aren’t an accident. These crooks may be causing them and as a result, everyone’s insurance premiums are rising. The sideswipes and panic stops are anything but a game. These are some of the tactics used in staged automobile […]

Imagine getting an email telling you that someone has shared a Google photo album with you. But, after clicking, investigators say that what was shared isn’t photos but a scheme to steal your personal information. You may not even immediately recognize this as a scam because they use what looks like real links. The Better […]

There’s a new warning out about scam artists having uber drivers and other rideshare drivers collect thousands of dollars from scam victims. There’s a new twist to the grandparents’ scam and crooks are grabbing cash right away. The Sheriff of Volusia County says a scammer there sent an Uber driver to pick up an envelope […]

We’ve all seen the smoke rising in the distance, but what if a brush fire lights up your neighborhood? We’re in the middle of fire season and Southwest Florida is getting less rain and seeing higher-than-average temperatures, setting the stage for fires to break out. WINK News Safety and Security Specialist Rich Kolko and Photojournalist […]

Spring break is over, and it’s time to start thinking about summer vacation. Many of us will head online to find the best deals, especially for places to stay. We are sending out the warning that places you pay and book for online might not even exist. Scammers will look at real rental listings and […]