NAIFA Assists on NBEOC Task Force and Works with Public Officials to Keep Americans Safe from Scams in Troubling Times
Nation's Leading Financial Professionals Association Sits on Crisis Task Force with NBEOC and Works with Legislators and Public Officials to Help Put a Stop to Scams
FALLS CHURCH, Va., March 27, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As if the health, economic and psychological threats haunting main street Americans today weren't enough, add a new enemy – consumer fraud and scams.
The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) has dedicated a portion of its consumer-facing website as an in-depth consumer tool on phishing, cybersecurity and personal identity safety. This site is a direct result of NAIFA's selection to assist the interagency crisis action task force through FEMA's National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) during the COVID-19 pandemic. NAIFA is providing the site, as well as the resource of its financial professional members, to legislators and their constituents.
The website is financialsecurity.org/scams, and it provides coronavirus-related cybersecurity links from the SEC, Homeland Security, the FTC and FEMA. It also lists general cybersecurity resources, but most important are links to lists of current scams and information on reporting wrongdoing. "It (the site) provides individuals and businesses with information to avoid scams, tips on who to contact regarding health claims/questions, as well as how to find licensed, knowledgeable, ethical professionals in their area to assist with financial planning questions," said NAIFA CEO Kevin Mayeux.
Beyond its work with the task force, NAIFA government relations staff is personally reaching out to a range of government officials on the issue. "I can only imagine the number of calls and questions legislators and public officials are fielding about COVID-19 and financial assistance right now," said NAIFA Senior VP of Government Relations Diane Boyle. "This is a difficult time, and hopefully NAIFA can help provide reliable information to constituents and reduce fear. With members in every Congressional District, NAIFA is uniquely situated to help with situational intelligence and deliver credible resources," she said.
Boyle said NAIFA is pleased to see word of the resource hit social media from coast to coast. New York Assembly member Harry B. Bronson shared it as a resource to his constituents on Twitter @HarryBBronson. "The outbreak of COVID-19 in our community has challenged many of our families financially. To protect you and your family from scams and access credible counseling, please visit the @NAIFA security webpage at: security.naifa.org/covid-19." And from California, Assemblyman Bill Brough wrote on Facebook "The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) has provided a site for individuals and businesses with information to avoid scams, tips on who to contact regarding health claims/questions, as well as how to find licensed, knowledgeable, ethical professionals to assist with financial security planning. Follow the link to access NAIFA's consumer site."
Mayeux says the site and other efforts are a natural extension of what the group has been doing for 130 years. "We are powering up resources around this crisis, because our members, who all subscribe to a code of ethics, have the answers to critical questions right now, whether it's cybersecurity or business interruption. We're working together to protect main street Americans," Mayeux said.
SOURCE NAIFA
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