Florida Women Arrested For Street Racing With Kids In The Car

When it comes to the Florida Man, we know we can put nothing past him, but apparently the same goes for Florida Women and 2 were arrested for street racing with kids in the car.

Driving here in Fort Myers sometimes feels like a full contact sport. You have the blue hairs that drive slower than molasses, some bikers that ride up the center of traffic or weave in and out, and others who feel the need to get incredibly fast just because they know their cars are capable of doing so. You always have to be on high alert. There have been stories recently of street racers on 41. I'm still trying to figure out with all those lights how they do it, but if they're street racing I'm sure they won't let a red light stop them from having their fun. But it's obviously not safe no matter where you do it.

You would think as a mom that you would drive carefully and cautiously when your kids are in the car. But there's 2 Florida women that didn't seem to care. The Ocala Police Department saw 2 vehicles racing each other on Southwest College Road at 1:50am on July 5th. The police officer clocked the cars going 93 in a 45. Shockingly, it doesn't sound like there was any high speed chase involving the officer, as he was able to catch up with them just blocks away.

One driver, 22 year-old Jamirria Blunt was driving with a 15 year-old in her car. The other vehicle, driven by 22 year-old Kiara Johnson had an 8 month-old in the car with her. Thankfully that baby WAS in a car seat, but driving recklessly like that is extremely irresponsible.

The Ocala Police Department posted on their Facebook page: "Racing presents serious dangers, including increased risks of severe accidents and death. We have zero tolerance for highway racing and will do everything we can to ensure that our roads are safe."

The smiles on their faces are quite bothersome seeing the danger they put not only themselves, but their children and other people on the road in. Both women were arrested and charged with child neglect and highway racing.

Scams are a scary thing, so you should know these new scams that are trending. It's easy to think that you could never fall for a scam, but the truth is that scammers are getting better and better and what they're doing, so it's getting more difficult to stay safe.

Before we get into the new scams that are trending, it's worth reminding ourselves of some age-old scams. Some scam artists just keep doing the same thing, and they keep getting successful results. The IRS has some good information out about tax-related scams and how to avoid them. On the agency's official website, they warn that seniors are often targeted in scams. This was true years ago and is still true. On their site, they warn taxpayers not to fall for scams targeting older adults. "Scammers pretending to be government officials, aim to steal sensitive personal information and money," they state. "By posing as representatives from agencies such as the IRS, or other government agencies, these fraudsters use fear and deceit to exploit their victims."

Another big scam that's been around forever is scammers claiming their services are needed to settle with the IRS and "that their debts can be settled for 'pennies-on-the-dollar' or that there is a limited window of time to resolve tax debts through the Offer in Compromise (OIC) program." The IRS says "these promoters are often referred to as 'OIC Mills.'" In a release, the IRS adds that an Offer in Compromise "mill" will "usually make outlandish claims, frequently in radio and TV ads, about how they can settle a person's tax debt for cheap. In reality, the promoter fees are often excessive, and taxpayers pay the OIC mill to get the same deal they could have received on their own by working directly with the IRS. This takes unnecessary money out of the taxpayer's wallet."

"Too often, we see some unscrupulous promoters mislead taxpayers into thinking they can magically get rid of a tax debt," IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a statement. "This is a legitimate IRS program, but there are specific requirements for people to qualify. People desperate for help can make a costly mistake if they clearly don't qualify for the program. Before using an aggressive promoter, we encourage people to review readily available IRS resources to help resolve a tax debt on their own without facing hefty fees."

Now, let's move onto the new scams to avoid.

The AARP warns of a new scam called the "check cooking scam." The AARP states, "In check cooking, thieves take a digital picture of a stolen check and then use commercially available software to alter it." It can look super real, but it's fake. So, how do you stay safe? "Consider using a safer payment method, such as a credit card," they suggest.

The AARP states also warns of a new sweepstakes scam where "instead of trying to get you to pay taxes or other fees in advance to collect the nonexistent prize, the scammers will ask for personal information so that they can validate you and set up the payout." Just say no.

These days, AI scams are big. Experian.com says today, scammers use technology to "write more convincing and natural-sounding phishing emails and text messages." They can also "Impersonate the victim's friend or relative and ask for money as part of a grandparent scam." It's scary stuff. Beware of anything that sounds too crazy, as these can often seem far-fetched, but AI makes them look real.

Experian.com says that student loan forgiveness scams are on the rise. They note that, "scammers may contact you via phone or create phony application sites aimed at stealing your Social Security number or your bank account information." Don't give out your information. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

This one is really wild. With the games on the way, scammers can use the games to scam you. The AARP states, "A scammer hacks someone's email account, and shortly after, all of that person's contacts will receive the same message — something to the effect of, 'Hey guys, I'm over in Paris and my wallet got stolen! Can anyone please help me out by sending gift cards or a Venmo deposit?"

Whether the scam is new or old, the best way to avoid it is to stop and think about what's happening. These scam artists are super good at what they do, but if you just stop for a moment and really think out any actions, you can avoid making a rash decision that could cost you.