DFPI: Financial Protection Is Our Middle Name.
We need to be alert and take measures to protect our bank accounts, our families and our futures. This is one of DFPI’s core reasons for existing. We keep the Golden State golden by regulating financial services and products, and by protecting consumers from unfair, deceptive and abusive financial practices.
Featured Resources
The New Era of Tech-Enabled Scams
Technology is developing fast, and new scams seem to be developing even faster. Read our guide to stay ahead.
Romance Scams: What consumers need to know
Romance scammers prey on innocent people with intent that’s decidedly unromantic. And they all rely on one simple gambit: Winning your trust. The best way to thwart love scammers is to be clear-eyed about the ways they steal your heart, and your wallet.
Crypto Scam Tracker
Use this information to protect yourself when engaging in crypto transactions. Below the table is a glossary explaining the structures for common scams.
Useful Terms
Identity theft
Identity theft is when scammers try to steal your personal information to commit fraud.
Phishing
Phishing is a cybercrime in which fraudulent emails, messages, or websites are used to trick you into disclosing sensitive and personal information.
Skimming
Skimming is the illegal attempt to capture your credit card data through illegal gadgets installed on ATMs and other payment processing equipment.
Data Breach
A data breach is when an organization’s system is hacked, disclosing private and personal information.
Fraud Detection
Fraud detection is the process of identifying suspicious or fraudulent activities, transactions, or patterns using advanced analytics, machine learning algorithms, and other tools to prevent financial losses and mitigate risks.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a security measure that requires users to provide two different kinds of authentication to access online accounts.
Fraud Prevention Tools
Fraud prevention tools are software solutions and technologies organizations use to detect scammers and prevent their scams.
Other Useful Links
- Staying Safe from Fraud and Scams – 2025 Los Angeles Fires: In the wake of the 2025 Los Angeles fires, the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) is committed to helping Californians navigate financial challenges during recovery.
- Protect your money. Know your rights: Whether you want to get smarter about ongoing scams and frauds, or what to do if you think you’ve been the victim of fraud, our site features numerous educational resources and important contacts.
- Bureau of Consumer Protection: The FTC is so serious about protecting people like you from fraud that they dedicated an entire bureau to it. The Bureau of Consumer Protection collects and investigates reports from consumers of unfair and fraudulent business practices, suing companies and people who break the law, developing rules to maintain a fair marketplace, and educating consumers and businesses about their rights and responsibilities.
Other Recent Consumer Alerts and Insights
Press Release
Supporting Financial Empowerment: DFPI Opens New CalMoneySmart Grant Application Period
The DFPI announced that $3.2 million in grants is available through the 2026–2028 CalMoneySmart program for nonprofit organizations that provide free financial empowerment services to California residents.
Consumer Insights
The New Era of Tech-Enabled Scams
Feb 27, 2026
It may seem daunting to keep up with technology these days. As it evolves, it seems to create more opportunities for criminals to exploit consumers. The scale of the problem is huge, and it will take us all working together to turn the tide.
Alerts
WhatsApp Investment Group called “Sofi Investment Group” Posing as a California-licensed Investment Adviser
Mar 9, 2026
The DFPI has received information that individuals are using the WhatsApp group “Sofi Investment Group” to falsely present themselves as licensed investment advisers.
Alerts
WhatsApp Investment Group called “VIP Guidance Group” Posing as a California-licensed Investment Adviser
Feb 18, 2026
An individual calling himself Professor Jake Civiello is falsely posing as a licensed investment adviser. He runs a WhatsApp group called VIP Guidance Group, which is NOT connected to any licensed investment adviser or broker-dealer in CA.
Stay Connected
Resources and Publications
Industries we regulate
- Commercial Banks
- Industrial Banks
- Public Banks
- Credit Unions
- Trust Services
- Securities
- Franchises
- Capital for Businesses
- Broker-Dealers & Investment Advisers
- Money Transmitters
- Debt Collectors
- Check Sellers, Bill Payers & Proraters
- Consumer & Commercial Loans
- Payday Lenders
- Insurance Premium Finance
- Residential Mortgage Lenders
- Mortgage Loan Originators
- Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)
- Escrow
- Student Loan Servicers
