JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The number of people moving to Florida over the past decade has caught the attention of legislators who have seen the increase of moving scams grow statewide.
In fact, Florida movers accounted for nearly half the moving company complaints filed in 2022 with the U.S. Department of Transportation.
A "for sale" sign posted can make anyone a target for moving scams.
Miranda Marquit, a consumer advocate for HireAHelper, says in Florida, one moving scam complaint is registered for every 262 moves, making it the most targeted state in the country.
"The more that people are moving into or out of a place, then the higher the likelihood of the moving scam," Marquit told First Coast News. "The scammers are gonna go where the scam is and for moving scams, you're going to go where people are moving. And Florida is one of those states that has a high amount of people moving."
From 2022 to 2023, Florida had the second highest percentage growth in population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
During that period, the U.S. Department of Transportation totaled more than 7,600 moving complaints — more than double the 3,000 filed in 2015, thus acting as the catalyst of a new law that puts more restrictions on moving companies in the state.
“Before the passage of this new law, which it won't get rid of all of the scams, of course, but it does make it a little bit harder for brokers, um so called moving brokers, to perpetuate these scams,” Marquit said.
The law that went into effect last month requires movers to register with the state, provide clear contracts and avoid misleading advertising, putting more restrictions on moving brokers from the process who tend to only disclose a fraction of the total moving bill.
"You have these moving brokers and these brokers, aren't actually the moving companies, they're just hiring a moving company on your behalf," Marquit said. "And so, you pay the broker fee, but you haven't paid the moving company fee."
If the moving company doesn’t comply with the new state law, it’s now considered a third-degree felony, bumping up fines to $50,000.
Regardless if you’re moving to or out of the 'Sunshine State,' Marquit advises to look for red flags with any moving company.
“A common scam where they charge a big upfront deposit and then they never show up and you're out the money. When you do pay any sort of deposit and then also when you pay for your move itself, try and put it on a credit card. It's easier to dispute a fraudulent charge or a scammer when you have it on your credit card,” she said.
Before hiring a moving company, you can look on the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website to see if they have a valid license.
If you have been scammed, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration advises to report it to law enforcement as soon as possible to show proof to your credit card company when disputing the big charge.