TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is encouraging Floridians to know the warning signs of financial scams and is sharing tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud.
Patronis warns Floridians to take steps to block unwanted calls and to filter unwanted text messages.
He says honest entities won’t call, email, or text to ask for your personal information, such as your social security, bank account, or credit card numbers.
Honest entities will also give you time to make a decision, rather than pressuring you to pay or give them your personal information.
Another sign of a scam could be someone asking for payment with cryptocurrency, a wire transfer service, or a gift card.
While budgeting, savings, planning for retirement, and good credit management are important tools to keep your finances in order, a critical part of any financial plan is fraud prevention.
Knowing what to look for and how to spot fraud before it happens can help ensure your family’s financial security. If it sounds too good to be true, then it is.
If you suspect that you are a victim of fraud, report it immediately at FraudFreeFlorida.com.
CFO Jimmy Patronis
To learn more about fraud and scams, check out the Department of Financial Services’ Guide to Outsmarting Scammers.
To find more tools and information on financial literacy, click HERE.
