Attorney General Moody's Week In Review - Nov. 18, 2022

It is International Fraud Awareness Week, and I am encouraging Floridians to stay up to date on the latest scams and take preventative measures to avoid falling victim.

In 2021, the Federal Trade Commission reported that a typical fraud case in Florida resulted in the loss of more than $500. Consumers nationwide reported losing nearly $6 billion to fraud last year—a major increase over the previous year.

My Consumer Protection Division works hard to stop scams and protect Floridians—recovering more than $469 million since 2019. While this is great news, a key component to fighting fraud is educating consumers so they can spot and avoid these devious schemes.

Some tips for consumers:

• Check account statements regularly to ensure there are no fraudulent charges or withdrawals;
• Use credit cards for transactions for added protections;
• Be wary of suspicious solicitations, and never send personal or financial information over text or email; and
• Create strong, unique passwords for online accounts.

In addition, I want to encourage Floridians to check out our free resources online and to report suspicious activity. Our website is full of consumer-related resources designed to warn Floridians about common and emerging scams, such as Consumer Alerts and my Scams at a Glance program.

You can check out these resources at MyFloridaLegal.com.

By knowing how to avoid fraud, you can guard against scams and help us build a Stronger, Safer Florida.