State Surgeon General John Armstrong and Gov. Rick Scott announced on Wednesday the suspension of the licenses of 81 massage therapists in a crackdown on licensing fraud.
The suspensions resulted from an investigation by the Florida Department of Health, the Clearwater Human Trafficking Task Force and the South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force that revealed that some of the massage therapists paid up to $15,000 to get fraudulent transcripts and certificates to get their licenses.
Scott said he also has directed Armstrong to lead a review of massage schools to make sure they are complying with licensure requirements.
Massage schools have come under particular scrutiny because of the fear of links to human trafficking.
