CFO and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis: State of Emergency Declared for Alberto, Anti-Fraud Teams Activated to Help Floridians
5/26/2018
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—With a state of emergency now declared in all 67 counties for Subtropical Storm Alberto, Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis activated his Disaster Fraud Action Strike Team (DFSAT), which will be deployed across the state in the event of major flooding and damage to protect Floridians from post-storm fraud.
“Unfortunately, storms can bring out the worst in people,” said CFO and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis. “To get ahead of any attempt to take advantage of those who may need repairs done to their property, we’re activating now so we can quickly ward off fraud. With the 2018 Hurricane Season less than a week away, it’s important consumers are alert and aware of the potential for post-storm scams.”
Possible indicators of post-storm fraud include:
• A contractor or restoration professional who offered to waive or discount your insurance deductible.
• A contractor or restoration professional that has received payment and has failed to provide any repairs to your home.
• A contractor or restoration professional who offered to provide repairs at a cash-only discounted rate and has failed to provide repairs to your home.
• A contractor or restoration professional who pressured you to sign an assignment of benefit (AOB) and has failed to provide any repairs to your home or stopped responding to your contact attempts.
Consumers who experience or witness these types of activity are encouraged to reach out to CFO Patronis’ Fraud Tip Hotline by calling 1-800-378-0445. Callers can choose to remain anonymous.
The strikes teams will be comprised of investigators working for CFO Patronis’ Division of Investigative and Forensic Services. They are trained insurance fraud investigators with specialized knowledge of property and casualty fraud. In addition to identifying active fraud operations in the field, investigators will work with each community to educate homeowners and local law enforcement about the red flags of fraud.