Jeff Deal, WFTV.com

Jeff Deal, WFTV.com

Action 9 consumer investigative reporter

Action 9 consumer investigative reporter Jeff Deal joined the Channel 9 Eyewitness News team in 2006. After 17 years covering some of the biggest stories in central Florida for WFTV, Deal was promoted to Action 9 consumer investigator in 2023. He’s just the second investigator to head the Action 9 team since its creation in 1991. Even before he joined Action 9, Deal had a passion for helping consumers. One of his consumer investigations uncovered shocking business practices at a parking lot near Port Canaveral, where the owner was joyriding in customers’ cars while they were away on cruises. The business closed down and the story garnered worldwide attention, earning WFTV the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award. Deal has also been honored with a National Headliner Award and other regional awards during his journalism career. His main priority is to help consumers protect their families and their wallets by shedding light on scams, rip-offs and questionable business practices. Deal and the Action 9 team have already helped consumers recover tens of thousands of dollars, and they continue to work to hold those responsible for the losses accountable. He enjoys life in Central Florida with his wife Beth and their son. As a graduate of Texas Christian University, Jeff is a fan of Horned Frog sports and is now excited to have UCF and TCU in the same conference. If you have a consumer complaint that you would like Deal and the Action 9 team to look into, you can email action9@wftv.com and jeff.deal@wftv.com.

Latest Headlines by Jeff Deal

Action 9 investigates Publix survey scam

A local man thought he won a $1000 Publix gift card. Tim Sikit of Ocala said, “When I hit submit it took me to a Publix Rewards part.” He later learned it was part of an elaborate sweepstake scam. The Publix Customer Voice Survey Sweepstakes is a legitimate contest, but it appears Sikit somehow ended up on a scam website designed to look like the grocery store's real site. Sikit believes he was on the real site, at least, at first. He told Action 9 Consumer Investigator Jeff Deal he answered the survey questions and when he was done a pop-up came up telling him he had won. At the time he got that pop-up, winner hadn’t even been selected yet.

‘You have to find the balance’: How young people can establish good credit

Establishing good credit while young can make a big difference in how people manage finances as they grow older. There are steps they can take to make sure they start off on the right foot. These days teens and young adults are bombarded with ads for fancy gadgets, the latest fashion, and flashy cars. Falling into a spending trap is something 22-year-old Andres Agudelo learned at a young age he wanted to avoid. “Yes, you can have nice clothes but is that going to be helping you out in the future?,” Agudelo questioned when sharing his credit journey with Action 9 Consumer Investigator Jeff Deal.

Renters insurance claims likely on hold for displaced tenants

“I got insurance thinking that I’d be covered for something like this,”  said Leonidas Papakalos, a tenant at the Rialto apartment building in Dr. Phillips area of Orange County. That’s the frustrating reality for many of the 400 central Florida renters displaced from two different apartment complexes.  The Rialto on Sand Lake Road shut down last week.  This week some residents had to move out of the Pebble Creek at Lake Mary apartment complex. When emergency evacuations were ordered, people at the Rialto grabbed what they could and left.  A week later, living expenses are adding up and renters insurance is top of mind.

Missing mail blamed for hurting local ministry

A local ministry says the mail service is so unreliable it's hurting vulnerable people in our community. Matthew’s Hope Ministries helps the homeless and others in need, but it claims missing mail at its Winter Garden location has become a big problem.

Local woman charged more than $800 on someone else’s Spectrum account

An Orange County woman said a cell phone company kept her card on file and charged her for months without her permission. “$884. That is ridiculous,” Norma Brown told Action 9 Consumer Investigator Jeff Deal. Brown said she made a one-time payment on someone else's Spectrum account then got hit with the extra charges. She claims she specifically told them not to add her card to the account. Realizing when it comes to money many people need a hand up from time to time, Norma Brown said she was just trying to help by offering to make a payment on the Spectrum cell phone plan that wasn't hers.

‘That was my nest egg’: Retired Daytona Beach woman scammed out of $135,000

A Daytona Beach woman fell victim to a scam that's changed her life forever. “I'm terrified. I can't eat. I can't sleep. That was, you know, that was my nest egg,” said Carol Ann Moritz. Moritz lost much of her life savings after she was contacted by scammers pretending to be from her bank. She told Action 9 Consumer Investigator Jeff Deal, “I have enough to pay the bills, but I don't have enough for a nice life anymore.” The scam started with a phone call from a woman who claimed she was with Fifth Third Bank. The woman told Moritz that someone in Akron, Ohio was trying to access her account and steal her money.

‘I do believe it is a money grab’: National Retail Federation weighs in on business website lawsuits

Action 9 is continuing to investigate the lawsuits targeting business over the accessibility of their websites. Earlier this month, our team showed thousands of businesses across the country have been hit with lawsuits alleging their websites don't meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. Now, we're taking a close look at the difficulty facing the blind, how hard it is for business to comply and at a stronger push for changes in the law. The National Retail Federation, which represents businesses, is concerned about the lawsuits. It says the businesses want to comply to better serve the blind, but the way the businesses are getting hit with the lawsuits without a chance to correct the problems first isn’t fair.

Central Florida homeowner faces reverse mortgage nightmare

A retired Volusia County man thought his home was paid off but has now learned he could lose it. “The dog and I will be homeless. You know? That’s what I’m looking at right now,” said Bill Tavernier. Tavernier has been living in the Deltona home for nearly 20-years after moving in to take care of his aging mother. His mom, Theresa, added him to the deed in 2007 then passed away in 2013. Ever since then, he’s continued to live in the home. All that time he didn’t know his mom had a reverse mortgage on the home until he got hit with a lawsuit by the federal government to take the home away.

Businesses Blindsided: Thousands sued for ADA violations on their websites

“It said that we were indeed being sued five days before Christmas,” said Ajeeta Khanna. The Orlando flower shop owner was recalling the moment she found out her business had been hit with a lawsuit in late 2024. She said it was a crippling lawsuit that alleged the company website wasn’t in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. And Action 9 found thousands of businesses across the country may have been blindsided by similar lawsuits. Businesses large and small across central Florida have been targeted with these types of ADA lawsuits including Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and Fun Spot. Any business with a website could be targeted by this type of lawsuit and experts tell Action 9 it’s nearly impossible to be 100% compliant with the ADA requirements.

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