what percent of consumers, who have experienced fraud, complain to their state's attorney general

What types of cases does the Consumer Fraud Unit handle?

Some of the variety of civil and criminal consumer law cases that the Consumer Fraud Unit handles include advance fee loan scams, dishonest auto sales, home repair fraud, identity theft, immigration fraud, mortgage rescue fraud, and work at home scams.

How many consumer complaints does the Bureau resolve each year?

In addition to litigating, the Bureau mediates thousands of complaints each year from individual consumers. A large percentage of these complaints are resolved satisfactorily through the mediation process.

What does the Bureau of consumer frauds and protection do?

Bureau of Consumer Frauds & Protection. The Bureau of Consumer Frauds and Protection, part of the Economic Justice Division, prosecutes businesses and individuals engaged in fraudulent, misleading, deceptive or illegal trade practices. In addition to litigating, the Bureau mediates thousands of complaints each year from individual consumers.

What is an example of a consumer complaint?

Examples include issues with consumers lenders, retail credit sellers, finance companies, rent-to-own, collection agencies, debt settlement companies, credit counseling agencies, as well as student loan servicers. Click below to learn more and to file a complaint.

What percentage of consumers who filed a fraud report said that they lost money?

Almost 2.8 million consumers filed a fraud report to the agency in 2021 — the highest number on record dating back to 2001, according to the FTC. About 25% of those scams led to a financial loss, with the typical person losing $500.

What is the most common consumer complaint?

And, the most reported consumer complaint to the FTC is (drum roll please): 1. Identity theft. The FTC describes this as "when someone appropriates your personal identifying information (like your Social Security number or credit card account number) to commit fraud or theft.

What is the most frequent type of consumer fraud complaint?

Credit card fraud was the most common form of reported identity theft, followed by phone or utilities fraud, bank fraud, and employment fraud. The most frequently reported type of identity theft bank fraud was electronic funds transfers.

What is the most common consumer fraud?

Credit and debit card fraud is when someone takes your information off the card and makes purchases or offers to lower your credit card interest rate.

What are the biggest complaints?

Complaints about auto sales — from defective vehicles and towing disputes to sales of new and used cars — topped the list for 2020. (Auto-related problems were also the top complaints for 2019.) Second on the list were complaints about home improvement and construction, followed by landlord/tenant problems.

What are the top 10 customer complaints?

Top 10 Customer Complaints Have About Your Customer ServiceI Can't Talk To A Real Person. ... It Takes Too Many Calls To Resolve An Issue. ... The Company Takes Too Long To Respond. ... The Customer Service Rep Was Not Professional. ... The Staff Couldn't Do Much To Help Me. ... My Agent Seemed Like A Novice.More items...•

How might a customer perpetrate fraud?

Perpetrators seek out their victims using various means, including postal mail, e-mail, telephone calls, and Internet forums. Once they contact their victim the perpetrators are very convincing.

What are some examples of consumer complaints?

Customer ComplaintsLong Wait on Hold. ... Unavailable or Out of Stock Product. ... Repeating the Customer's Problem. ... Uninterested Service Rep. ... Poor Product or Service. ... No First Call Resolution. ... Lack of Follow Up. ... New Product or Feature Request.

Your Information

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Complaint Information

Please explain your complaint: Try to be brief, but be sure to tell WHAT happened, WHEN it happened and WHERE it happened. Be specific about any oral statements the business made to you, ESPECIALLY those that influenced you to deal with the company, including how you heard about the company. Describe events in the order in which they happened.

What is consumer fraud?

The Consumer Fraud Unit prosecutes individuals and businesses accountable for fraudulent schemes and unscrupulous practices; however, the process of prosecution highly relies on complaints from the victims and the public. Services offered are also only limited to complaints regarding consumer fraud, and does not have the power to investigate, nor does it include prosecution of individuals or companies that failed to provide utmost satisfaction service or product, as it does not fall under consumer fraud.

Where to send complaint to Consumer Fraud Unit?

The fully accomplished forms containing a detailed explanation of all the facts of your dispute, as well as copies of all the important documents related to the complaint shall be submitted by regular mail to the Consumer Fraud Unit located at 69 W. Washington St., Suite 3130, Chicago, Illinois, 60602.

How to resolve a consumer dispute?

Note that the first step in resolving consumer dispute shall involve the notification, in writing, of all parties involved. This implies that a letter containing the exact nature of the dispute shall be sent to the individual or company accountable for the matter at hand. Moreover, the letter shall be made to request a refund and/or completion of the work within a reasonable period of time, with at least ten days. The letter shall be sent through regular and certified mail, with a request for a return receipt. Bear in mind to keep a copy of the letters, including other important documents, and account them for your own records.

Where is the Consumer Fraud Unit located?

The offices of the Consumer Fraud Unit are located at 69 W. Washington St., Suite 3130, Chicago, Illinois, 60602. The unit may be contacted through telephone at (312) 603-8600 or through e-mail at [email protected].

Can the Consumer Fraud Unit prosecute a case?

In some instances, the Consumer Fraud Unit is not able to prosecute a particular case. Services offered by the Unit are only limited to complaints regarding consumer fraud. Furthermore, the Unit does not have the power to investigate, nor does it include prosecution of individuals or companies that failed to provide utmost satisfaction service or product, as it does not fall under consumer fraud. Other occurrences, such as performance of partial work in a regarded job usually prevents the successful criminal prosecution of the case for both theft and home repair fraud. Decision made by the State’s Attorney’s Office regarding a legal case on the criminal prosecution of fraud does not imply lack of other methods to pursue legal recourse.