CFO Patronis encourages Floridians to report suspected insurance fraud scams

As the 2018 hurricane season approaches, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis reminds Floridians to contact his Disaster Fraud Action Strike Team (DFAST) if they suspect they may have fallen victim to insurance fraud during their recovery after a hurricane. DFAST investigations stemming from the 2017 Hurricane Season have resulted in the arrest of 22 alleged insurance fraud criminals, and nearly 100 investigations currently remain open and ongoing. “Those who seek to take advantage of others during the recovery phase of a disaster are some of the worst types of criminals we see,” Patronis said. “As recovery efforts continue from last year, and the 2018 Hurricane Season quickly approaches, we must continue to look out for our families, friends, and neighbors by reporting suspicious activity as soon as possible.” Some warning signs include contractors who offer to waive or discount insurance deductibles, who receive payment and fail to provide repair services, who offer to provide repair services at a cash-only discounted rate and fail to perform repairs, and who pressure recovery victims to sign an assignment of benefits agreement and fail to perform repairs. Consumers who have experienced or witnessed these types of activity are encouraged to reach out to CFO Patronis’ Fraud Tip Hotline, and callers can remain anonymous. To ensure that law-breakers are prosecuted to the fullest extent of Florida law, CFO Patronis is working directly with dedicated prosecutors housed within each of the respective State Attorney’s Offices.