International Fraud Awareness Week kicks off worldwide on Nov. 17, 2024
Our Clerk’s Office is once again taking the initiative to promote fraud awareness and community education for this year’s International Fraud Awareness Week from November 17-23, 2024. This annual effort is led by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the world’s largest anti-fraud organization and premier anti-fraud training and education provider. As a member of the ACFE and an official Law Enforcement and Government Alliance (LEGA) partner, we have been recognized as an International Fraud Week Ambassador, supporting this week-long effort in our commitment to combat fraud and other cybercrimes.
In the past year, our Office of Inspector General (OIG) has recorded several cases of phone scams and other fraud complaints targeting different members of our community. Fraud has increasingly been a significant issue that puts everyone at risk. Hence, fraud awareness and education are becoming even more crucial to our safety.
According to the FBI’s 2023 Internet Crime Report, over 880,000 complaints of internet scams have been reported globally, with an estimated total loss of $12.5 billion in 2023 alone. In the United States, Florida is ranked 3rd as the state with the most recorded number of complaints, with 41,061, followed by Texas (47,305) and California (77, 271). These numbers prove that fraud is an alarming issue affecting our community.
A total loss of $874,000 was recorded in the state of Florida in 2023 due to various forms of fraud, primarily because they may not be educated on fraudsters’ tactics, or they don’t set the necessary measures in place to safeguard themselves against scams. With a belief that education is the most important way that our community can prevent fraud, the Clerk’s Office has an extensive outreach program, providing guest speakers, educational newsletters, and a complimentary Risk Alert notification system that helps property owners monitor their records.
For more information about increasing awareness and reducing the risk of fraud during International Fraud Awareness Week, explore resources offered by the Collier County Office of Inspector General at collierclerk.com/inspector-general or visit FraudWeek.com.