The San Diego County District Attorney’s office encourages the public to report fraud during International Fraud Awareness Week by promoting awareness and education.
Fraud is the second-largest economic crime in the United States. San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan partnered with the California Department of Insurance to shed light on the nation’s second-largest economic crime, costing Californians about $15 billion annually.
“Committing fraud is not a victimless crime, it is a serious financial crime that affects everyone from grandparents to business owners and corporations,” DA Stephan said. “Bad actors can be strangers or even family members and often the fraud devastates victims both financially and emotionally. When the fraud is against insurers, it can also translate into negative impact on all consumers who pay the price when insurance prices spike because of unscrupulous actors. If you know of fraud being committed, report it.”
The DA’s Insurance and Workplace Justice Division filed criminal charges against 264 defendants and obtained 194 convictions in 2021or various insurance fraud offenses. Nearly $8.9 million in restitution was ordered for victims, the DA’s office announced.
The public can contact the DA’s Office through the Insurance Fraud hotline at (800) 315-7672 or at sdconnect@sdcda.org, or contact the California Department of Insurance at (800) 927-4357. To report fraud related to real estate, the public can contact the DA’s Real Estate Fraud hotline at (619) 531-3552.
The DA’s office asks the public to report any other type of fraud or criminal activity to a local law enforcement agency.
For information and resources about International Fraud Awareness Week, visit www.FraudWeek.com .
