Monterey County District Attorney launches a new fraud reporting tip line.

Scammers be scamming, and it's only getting worse. The FBI announced last month that scammers stole a record $16.6 billion last year, a 33 percent increase over 2023.

As the amount of fraud has increased locally, Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni has formed specialized teams to handle different types of fraud. Her team is enlisting the public's help, launching a new Fraud Hotline, according to a May 20 press release. 

The number to call to report fraud is 831-755-3224. You can also email the office at ReportFraud@countyofmonterey.gov.

The specialized fraud units include:

• Worker's compensation, investigating people attempting to make false claims, including doctors, lawyers, employers and applicants. According to the press release, a prosecutor and two investigators work full-time on such cases;
• Health care and disability, which looks into fraudulent disability claims and dishonest billing practices by medical providers;
• Auto insurance, focusing on staged car crashes, fake injury claims and organized rings involving legal and medical professionals;
• Real estate, investigating crimes like forged deeds, fake property sales, mortgage fraud and timeshare scams. 

"The District Attorney's Office can't do this work alone," the press release states. "Many cases start with tips from people just like you. If something seems suspicious or too good to be true, trust your instincts and reach out."