Shannon Behnken is a tenacious, award-winning investigative reporter who has exposed fraud, advocated for consumers and held the powerful accountable in the Tampa Bay area for decades.
When viewers get ripped off, lied to or stuck in red tape, they know they’d Better Call Behnken. Shannon’s consumer franchise is one of the strongest in the country and has gained national notoriety as her personality-driven reporting style takes viewers behind-the-scenes as she fights for results for viewers.
For years, the Better Call Behnken consumer investigative unit has tacked thousands of viewer complaints: from everyday headaches like getting double billed, to sophisticated financial schemes that led to criminal prosecutions. Her experience brings depth and dimension to her stories and has helped consumers recover millions in their hard-earned money.
Better Call Behnken viewers have cheered Shannon on as she exposed a multi-million dollar real estate fraud scheme that stole money from the federal government and left neighborhoods riddled with foreclosures. Her work uncovered systematic overbilling that led to an overhaul of a local county’s water department and returned thousands of dollars to residents who had been billed improperly.
Builders have torn down houses, after Shannon proved they broke construction laws. Numerous business leaders have been prosecuted, after Better Call Behnken investigations exposed crimes against customers. Most recently, a quietly-proposed state bill that would have made it more difficult for Floridians to register and legally drive newly-bought vehicles died in the legislature after Shannon exposed the consequences.
Shannon’s work has been recognized with numerous regional and national awards, including The National Association of Real Estate Editors, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Florida Press Club and the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. Shannon serves on the Board of Directors for Seniors Vs. Crime, under the Florida Attorney General’s Office.
Behnken came to Tampa as a reporter for The Tampa Tribune in 2000. She is a graduate of Western Kentucky University and holds degrees in journalism and criminology. She and her family love living in the Tampa Bay area.
Email: BetterCallBehnken@wfla.com Follow Shannon on Facebook and Twitter.
Phone: 1-855-BEHNKEN (1-855-234-6536)
