Professional Experience

Hired in 2019 as the Safety and Security Specialist at WINK News. FBI Special Agent 1996-2017 serving in Atlanta, New York, FBI HQ and Quantico, VA. Served in the Navy, both on active duty and the reserve, retiring as a Commander in 2011.

News Philosophy

Work to help the citizens of SWFL keep their family, home, cyber, and finances safe and secure.

Hobbies & Interests

Flying, fishing & luge.

Education

Masters in Homeland Security from American Military University, Bachelors in Communications from the University of Miami.

Likes best about Southwest Florida

The people, along with the weather, and no DC traffic!

Hometown

Poughkeepsie, NY.

FBI warns never to pay ransom demands of cyberattackers

The owner of the largest gas lines affected by a cyberattack did something the FBI says you should never do, which is pay the ransom. The attack on Colonial Pipeline is causing widespread gas outages across parts of the United States, including in Florida. WINK News Safety & Security Specialist Rich Kolko spoke to colleagues […]

FDLE lab in Fort Myers uses DNA to help solve crimes

There’s a high-tech crime lab in Fort Myers where analysts help solve crimes to get criminals off the streets. The lab is one of six in the state and they do more than just DNA. They also compare fingerprints and analyze drugs. There is also a crime scene team that helps to support dozen of […]

Most Wanted Wednesday: We feature some of SWFL’s most wanted suspects; May 12

This weekly WINK News segment features fugitives from justice right here in Southwest Florida. This is your chance to help out the community and give the tip that gets these people off the street. These suspects need to be found – and you can help. If you have seen them, reach out to Crime Stoppers […]

Fake reviews are prevalent on Amazon, Walmart and other major retailers. (CBS News photo)

Beware before your buy; Data breach exposes Amazon fake reviews scam

Oftentimes you go online and the product you are looking at has nothing but five stars, but those reviews may not be true. Some companies are actually paying people to leave them a positive review and game the system. How exactly does this work? Through the pandemic, people have been shopping online. And a recent […]

Most Wanted Wednesday: We feature some of SWFL’s most wanted suspects; May 5

This weekly WINK News segment features fugitives from justice right here in Southwest Florida. This is your chance to help out the community and give the tip that gets these people off the street. These suspects need to be found – and you can help. If you have seen them, reach out to Crime Stoppers […]

venmo scam

Crooks are cashing in on your use of apps like Venmo and Zelle

Many people no longer carry large or any amounts of cash on them. Now, we rely on apps on our phones to do things like pay our friends for lunch or pay our bills. Crooks are cashing in on you using these apps. There’s a warning if you use some popular apps such as Venmo […]

cbd oil

A scam disguised as an offer to try free CBD oil

CBD oil is supposed to help with things like pain. The issue is that it can be pretty pricey. Taking a free offer to try CBD oil could leave your wallet in pain. The offer, of course, isn’t actually free. It’s part of a scam, and it happens right here in Southwest Florida. With CBD […]

blind pass

Beware of sales at places that say they’re going out of business

Experts have a warning about what might seem like bargains being offered at a favorite store or restaurant that is going out of business. They say what looks to be a great deal could be costly. The nationwide shutdown that started at the beginning of the pandemic has hit a lot of businesses hard. The […]

plane

As Americans book more vacations, travel scams take off

As more COVID-19 restrictions are eased, some people can’t wait to travel. After a year of not being able to go anywhere, you can imagine many of us are booking trips right now. But those deals you find could cost you a lot more than advertised. Ads to travel do look enticing, and they come […]