Miami-Dade commissioners have passed legislation to try to stop scalpers from obtaining Department of Motor Vehicle appointments. NBC6’s Jamie Guirola reports
Miami-Dade commissioners have passed legislation to try to stop scalpers from obtaining Department of Motor Vehicle appointments.
Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera said Tuesday that the ordinance was unanimously approved to target the illegal resale of the appointments with fines of up to $500 for each violation.
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WATCH HEREThe county's tax collector, Dariel Fernandez, who is in charge of the DMV, said last month that the county had uncovered a network of scalpers that have been hoarding appointments by using fake accounts and bots.
The scalpers would then sell the free appointments for between $25 and $250.
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The illegal practice caused large wait times and long lines at DMV offices in recent years.
"This legislation is about protecting working families and restoring trust in our public institutions," Cabrera said in a statement. "No one should have to pay a third party just to access basic government services. I’m proud to have partnered with Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez to put an end to this abusive practice."
The ordinance prohibits any person, entity, or platform from listing, selling, or promoting the sale of public service appointments without express written consent from the Miami-Dade County Office of the Tax Collector.
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"We will no longer tolerate fraud in our community. These predatory practices are unfair, unethical, and disproportionately harm our most vulnerable residents," Fernandez said in a statement. “Thanks to Commissioner Cabrera’s leadership and the unanimous support of the Board of County Commissioners, we now have the legal tools to go after bad actors who have taken advantage of our residents for far too long."
