Florida Chief Financial Officer warns of scams

[Pixabay.com]

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis warns Floridians of the following scams.

  • A telemarketing scheme intended to scam seniors and most often Florida Blue customers. The scammer calls involve "experimental pain relief cream" to replace current pain medication. Some of these callers aim to steal identities while others may attempt to fraudulently charge your insurer.
  • The Facebook scheme involves criminals cloning the Facebook accounts of your friends and family members to steal your photos and your personal information. Facebook is planning to expand its business by creating partnerships with financial institutions across the nation; this move would allow Facebook to gain access to some of your financial data through functions in the Messenger app. While this move may sound convenient, it also can put your financial information at risk.

"We must do all we can to protect the information we share," Patronis said in a press release. "Look out for spoofed numbers, never give out personal information and if you are compromised, notify your financial institutions as soon as possible."

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Florida Chief Financial Officer warns of scams