𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐅𝐅 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐎’𝐒 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐘 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐔𝐃 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐓: 𝐕𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐎𝐑 𝐕𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐏?
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office reminds vacationers to be cautious when renting vacation homes because you may be clicking on a scam.
Scammers will use real locations and pictures to advertise a fake listing. The scammers will have you make a payment upfront. After payment is made, you may experience two things upon arrival: the property is not real or it’s unavailable for your reservation dates.
🚫𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐁𝐞 𝐚 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐦
If the price is too good to be true, it probably is. Compare the price of other rentals in the area for that time of year. If the rental is way cheaper than others, it is probably a scam.
If the owner/manager of the property is refusing to use a legitimate rental platform, that’s a red flag!
If you are pressured to pay quickly, it is probably a scam. Scammers will push a sense of urgency that makes people buy first, ask questions later. Don’t fall for it.
🚫𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐬
Use a reputable platform. Make sure the website is legit before booking. If you haven’t heard of that platform before and there aren’t a lot of reviews, don’t use it.
Search for the property online. Verifying the listing you’re looking at is real through reviews, reverse image search, and comparing listings online. If there are multiple listings or the information does not match, it may be a scam.
Rental managers should not be requesting payment through gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer. These methods are irreversible. Make sure to pay with a credit card.
🚫 𝐈𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝
Contact the booking company immediately. Report the scam to your bank. Save all documentation of the property, payment details, and communication with the renter.
If you’re a victim of this type of scam, report it to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (239) 477-1000 or your local law enforcement agency.
Did you know the Lee County Sheriff’s Office provides over a dozen free crime prevention programs? These sessions cover practical tips to help keep you and your community safe. If you’d like to schedule one for your neighborhood, business, church, or organization, just give us a call at (239) 477-1CRU (1278) or send an email to CRU@sheriffleefl.org.
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6 hours ago
🎒𝟐𝟕𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 - 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐖!!!🎒
Get ready for one of the biggest community events of the year!
📅 Sunday, July 26th
⏰ 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 Fort Myers Skatium
We’re helping students start the school year strong by providing FREE backpacks and essential school supplies while supplies last! 🎒✏️📓
Come out and enjoy a fun, family-friendly event focused on supporting local students and families in need.
✔ Free backpacks (while supplies last)
✔ School supplies giveaways
✔ Community resources
✔ Positive vibes & support
𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲!⭐
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22 hours ago
🚨 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐄 - 𝐅𝐭. 𝐌𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 🚨
Update 1: 7.25.26 at 1:35p —
Sheriff Carmine Marceno confirms LCSO is working a death investigation within the 11000 block of Ranchette Rd., after one person was found deceased while investigating a structure fire. Detectives with our Major Crimes Unit are actively investigating. The scene is contained and there is no threat to the public. Additional updates will be provided once information becomes available.
Update 2: 7.25.26 at 4:22p —
Major Crimes detectives are continuing their investigation and the Crime Scene Unit has responded to process the scene and collect evidence. The State Fire Marshal is also on scene conducting a parallel investigation alongside MCU. The investigation will remain active. An additional update will be provided later today.
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1 day ago
🌟𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐘🌟
𝚅𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝙲𝚛𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝙳𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎: 𝙳𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚎𝚕 𝙾𝚌𝚑𝚜
For Daniel Ochs, career choices came down to either the military or law enforcement. At Estero High he participated in Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) and his father worked for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, so the military was attractive.
Daniel was also part of the Estero Fire Rescue Explorers Program, but it was a ride-along with Cape Coral Police Department that convinced him to pursue law enforcement.
“With the Explorers it was mostly medical calls, but after that ride-along with CCPD, and from watching what Las Vegas Metro Police were doing on the television show COPS, I knew that’s what I wanted,” he said.
Born in Miami, Daniel was eight years old when his family relocated to Estero. After graduating from Estero High in 2015, he sponsored himself through the public service academy in 2019 and was hired by CCPD.
“I worked nights on road patrol and that suited me because I’m a night owl,” Det. Ochs said. “I did that for about two and a half years before moving to Nevada to begin EOT training with Las Vegas Metro Police.”
A family illness, however, necessitated a move back to Lee County after just a few months. Switching to LCSO, Ochs began on night patrol in the 3rd Precinct.
“It was great because I got to work with several people I went to the academy with,” he explained. “It was good experience learning the precinct that was about as big as all of the area we patrolled in Cape Coral.”
In June of 2024, Ochs made Detective and began working in the 4th Precinct Crime Section. His role involved investigating property crimes including burglaries of homes and businesses.
After just a couple of months in Crime Section, Det. Ochs was selected for an opening in LCSO’s Violent Crimes Unit. “I feel like the work in 4th helped prepare me for VCU, but we’re dealing with life and death incidents and there are no shortcuts in those investigations,” he said.
Each member of VCU has a particular niche, and Det. Ochs lists his as an ability to interview suspects and witnesses. His goal is to keep them talking to glean as much information as possible, some of which can be used to further an investigation or uncover new leads.
“It’s rewarding when you can put your name to a case and see it all the way through to a plea deal or a conviction that puts the guilty party away,” he said. “I appreciate my time in VCU, especially when we can get a measure of justice for true victims.”
One case that stands out for Det. Ochs was an armed robbery investigation at Royal Arcade in South Fort Myers. A man, Levi Ross Jr. entered the business just as it opened and began firing shots at the lone attendant, who was grazed by a bullet that went right through the sandwich he was about to eat. The attendant fled through a rear door amidst more shots fired in his direction. Ross was arrested after a foot chase through Pine Manor during which he threw away the weapon and several articles of clothing used to disguise his appearance.
Det. Ochs put the pieces together that led Ross to take a plea deal for a 20-year prison sentence.
Away from work Daniel enjoys working out with weights and running, along with diving and spearfishing. He and his fiancée, Giselle, also spend time with their two dogs (a Greyhound and a Whippet) as well as what he calls “a fat black cat.” The couple is planning to marry in December of this year at his ranch in LaBelle.
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1 day ago
📕⭐ 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎𝐃𝐀𝐘, 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐖 ⭐✏️
LCSO's Youth Services Division is proud to represent #TeamLCSO at this year's FASRO Conference in Jacksonville!
The Florida Association of School Resource Officers provides the most advanced and comprehensive training for school-based police and school administrators, and is the largest state school policing organization in the country with over 1,100 members.
This annual conference brings together School Resource Officers, school safety professionals, and education partners from across Florida to share best practices, strengthen partnerships, and enhance school safety.
By investing in continued training and professional development, our deputies are gaining valuable knowledge and resources they can bring back to better serve and protect the students, staff, and families in our community.
𝐖𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞.
#TeamLCSO #YouthServices #FASRO #SchoolSafety #ServingWithPride #ProfessionalDevelopment
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2 days ago