Florida State Regulators Have Recovered Nearly $500 Million From Scammers Since 2019
The third week of November is International Fraud Awareness Week. Regulators and consumer protection groups are warning consumers about the pervasive (and growing) threat posed by scammers. According to a report from Florida Daily, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody reports that state regulators have recovered more than $469 million from scammers since 2019.
Florida regulators warn consumers that the fraud threat is rising. Scammers take advantage of anything that they can—from the internet to COVID-19 to hurricanes—to carry out scams. Within this blog post, our West Palm Beach deceptive & unfair trade practices lawyer highlights the steps that you should take if you believe that you were defrauded by a scammer in Florida.
Scammed? Four Steps that You Should Take to Protect Your Rights and Seek Compensation
As emphasized by the Florida Attorney General, the best way to deal with fraud is to stop it before it happens. Of course, that advice can be cold comfort to someone who has already been scammed. If you or your loved one was defrauded, you need to know how to protect your rights and interests. Here four key things that you should do if you were defrauded in Florida:
- Take Action to Protect Yourself From Additional Losses: To start, you need to take immediate measures to protect yourself and your family from any additional losses. Do the fraudsters have access to your personal information or any account information? Make sure that those accounts are protected. Additionally, you should generally freeze your credit. You can get a credit freeze for free.
- Document the Fraud—Record Exactly What Happened: Carefully preserve any information that you have related to the fraudster and the scam itself. Take a moment to write down your story. The more details you have, the better position that you will be in to get justice and compensation for your damages.
- Report the Matter to the Proper Authorities: Fraud should be reported. Depending on the nature of the matter, you may want to report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Florida Attorney General, another federal or state regulator, or law enforcement.
- Consult With a Fraud Lawyer and Consider an FDUTPA Claim: Finally, you should schedule a consultation with a consumer fraud attorney in Florida. You may be able to pursue a legal claim for compensation, including through the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA). Indeed, the FDUTPA allows consumers to hold legitimate businesses legally liable for damages caused by material misrepresentations or other unjust commercial practices.
Speak to Our Florida FDUTPA Lawyer Today
At Pike & Lustig, LLP, our West Palm Beach FDUTPA attorneys are standing by, ready to fight for justice. We are a solutions-driven law firm. If you or your business was defrauded by a scammer, please do not hesitate to contact us now for a completely confidential consultation. With office locations in West Palm Beach, Wellington, and Miami, our law firm handles consumer fraud cases throughout Southeastern Florida.
Source:
floridadaily.com/ashley-moody-consumer-protection-division-recovered-469-million-from-scammers-since-2019/
