Gun permit email raises suspicion
Item circulating around Florida believed to be scam; it promises getting approval in 30 minutes
A email circulating around Florida promises nearly instant concealed gun permits, but it’s probably fake and contains malicious web links.
The email appears to be the latest scam attempt to get people to click on suspicious links.
The email’s subject line says, “Your Concealed Carry License in the Mail.” The email promises gun permits in 30 minutes, citing a “legal loophole” that doesn’t exist. It says permits are available with “zero government red tape (and no exposing your private info to the Feds).”
The email was sent by Presidential Wire, a blog that contains two separate “contact us” pages with conflicting information, such as mailing addresses in Seattle, California and South Carolina with a Miami-area phone number that goes to a robo-message for opting out of marketing materials.
The Miami phone number and Seattle address also appear on other online blogs such as Conservative America Today, The Liberty Revolution and Right Wing Americans.
In Florida, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services regulates and administers concealed weapons licenses. The process it describes for obtaining a gun permit is not as simple as the one in the email.
Applicants must showproof of gun training from an approved agency or training course to show competence and safe gun handling. Applicants also must get fingerprints and have a photo taken at an approved law enforcement agency. Once they send a copy of their certification, fingerprints and photograph to the Florida Department of Agriculture, a background check is the final step.
The whole process generally takes about 90days, although the closure of various facilities to the public like sheriff’s offices and Department of Agriculture regional offices due to COVID-19 has delayed the process
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The email urges readers to click the links as soon as possible, a common red flag with emails, advertisements and links, according to cybersecurity experts. They advise not to click those links.
Austen Erblat can be reached at aerblat@ sunsentinel.com, 954-5998709