ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
Naples Police Department. Credit: WINK News. The Naples Police Department has offered a list of tips for avoiding different kinds of scams after Hurricane Ian. Advanced fee construction A contractor will require money up-front for supplies. Once you give them money, they disappear, along with your money. Red flags to look for: An unsolicited approach. An out-of-state “contractor.” No pickup/work truck. No professional indicators such as shirt, business card, or vehicle signage; no references A contractor going door to door is not typically legitimate. Precautions you can take: Take photographs of the individual’s driver’s license and truck. Verify they are licensed to work in Florida by checking www.myfloridalicense.com or calling (850) 487-1395. If they are appropriately licensed, ensure you have a clear written contract with them. The contract may be short, but it should clearly state your deposit will be used to purchase supplies for your house, the company will complete the work in a defined amount of time, etc. Avoid paying in cash, if possible, especially when it is paid before the work is fully completed. For the deposit, use a credit card, a check, or an online payment service such as Venmo or Zelle. These payment methods make sure there is a record of the money paid. Do not make the final payment until all the work is completed to your satisfaction. Job scams In addition to many other losses, many people have also lost their jobs. Scammers will prey on people out of work and advertise jobs that “sound too good to be true.” If it sounds too good to be true, then it is. The jobs may offer high pay for work-from-home opportunities, mystery shopping, reshipping, etc. Other jobs may require you to be a “payment processor” and open bank accounts or use your own to forward payments overseas. In these instances, you become a “money mule” laundering money from other scams. Red flags to look for: The “employer” asks for payment for a background check or a canceled check for direct deposit. The employer sends you a check and then requests partial repayment or that you purchase gift cards with the money. Precautions you can take: Do not respond to unsolicited offers of employment. Before applying for a job posting, ensure the company is established and reputable. Never cash/deposit a check and use the proceeds to send money back or buy gift cards. to send to the “employer” or anyone else. If a new employer sends you a check for purchases or other reasons, wait until your bank tells you that the check has cleared before you use any of the funds. Otherwise, you may be responsible for the funds used when the check bounces because it is fake. Housing scams Scam artists know that people are desperately looking for housing. They will create fake ads for housing to scam victims out of money. Red flags to look for: The rental company requests you wire money to them to hold the rental unit. Or they ask for another payment before a lease has even been signed or you have seen the location. The landlord claims to be overseas and can only communicate via email or at pre-arranged times. Steer clear of these situations. Precautions you can take: First, make sure you know who you are talking to. There is virtually no reason why a landlord, or their employee, would be unable to meet you in person. Second, do not give anyone any money or sensitive financial information before seeing the housing in person. Even if it claims to be a live video of the location, photos or videos are not good enough. You cannot honestly know where the live video is being done. Fake government assistance Many legitimate government programs help people following an incident like Hurricane Ian. The scammers will pretend to represent one of the many existing government programs. Red flags to look for: They will request money from you, such as an advanced fee or application fee. They may ask you for sensitive information such as banking information. The scammers will then use your personal information to apply for benefits directed to them instead of you. Of course, any “advance fee” you give them will also disappear. Precautions you can take: First, realize no legitimate government program will ever ask you for payment for relief supplies. Ask the person to show you their official identification for the agency their claim to represent. If you are concerned about someone at your home, contact your local police department. FEMA fraud You can report FEMA-related fraud by email, phone at (866) 223-0814, or online. If the person claims to be a “FEMA inspector,” let them know you did not apply for assistance. If the inspector has left, call the FEMA helpline at (800) 621-3362 to tell them that you did not apply. FEMA will stop all further processing for the application. Charity fraud scams Following tragedies like Hurricane Ian, solicitations for money will spring up all over. Scammers will create fake online donation pages asking for donations for someone in need. While GoFundMe is probably the most common and widely known, there are others. Scammers will also solicit donations for charities that do not exist. The name of their “charity” may even look like a legitimate one, or they may claim they represent a legitimate charity. Ask them for their identification from the charity they claim to represent. Precautions you can take: Only donate to charities that you know have established histories. Be careful of crowdfunding websites that post requests for monetary donations. Even though these sites try to limit the number of scams, they cannot always verify the legitimacy of the need and request. Miscellaneous red flags Some other common red flags to look out for: Unsolicited contact by people, companies, or organizations you have not previously dealt with asking for sensitive information from you or asking for money. Phone calls, text messages and emails are sent out with what appear to be “urgent requests” or offers the victim must accept immediately. As always, do not open unknown emails. These will often include a link for you to click to log in or submit an application. If you did not ask for the information, do not click on any link in the message. Scammers will even go door to door to target affected area residents following hurricanes and damaging storms. They may pretend to be from your insurance company, an insurance adjuster hired by your insurer, your bank, a charity, etc. If you have any doubts, do not give any identifying information out to them to “confirm your account.” You can hang up the phone and call a known number for that entity. When to contact the police If you are contacted by phone, text, or email by someone you believe is a fraudster but have not given them any information, you should hang up the phone or delete the message. If you have not given them any information, you are safe and do not need to do anything further. However, if you did give them sensitive information in these instances, contact our non-emergency number immediately to file a report. If you are visited in person by someone you suspect is a scammer, obtain as much information as you can about them, including their appearance, the name of the company they claim to represent, and a description of their vehicle. When it is safe to do so, call 911 to report the incident. Nearby patrol officers may be able to find them in the area either verify their legitimacy or prevent further fraud. Contact numbers Naples Police Department (non-emergency): (239) 213-3000 or (239) 213-4844 Collier County Sheriff’s Office (non-emergency): (239) 252-9300 Marco Island Police Department (non-emergency): (239) 389-5050 Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation: Verify a contractor is licensed to work in Florida: www.myfloridalicense.com or call (850) 487-1395. FEMA: You can report FEMA-related fraud to: Email: StopFEMAFraud@fema.dhs.gov Phone: (866) 223-0814 Online: https://www.usa.gov/state-consumer/florida FEMA helpline: (800) 621-3362 The National Flood Insurance Program: (800) 638-6620