Kicking off National Consumer Protection Week, Attorney General Phil Weiser unveils top 10 consumer complaints and inquiries of 2018
Mar. 4, 2019 (DENVER, Colo.) — In recognition of National Consumer Protection Week, Attorney General Phil Weiser today unveiled a list of the top 10 consumer complaints of 2018. During the 2018 calendar year, consumers filed 9,110 complaints and inquiries with the Consumer Protection Section of the Office of the Attorney General.
“Consumer protection is central to the work of the Attorney General’s Office and it will be one of our core priorities. In the years ahead, our office will address a range of threats to consumers, including scams, financial fraud, collusion among competitors, and compromises to data privacy,” said Weiser. “Vigorous consumer protection is pro-business. In protecting consumers and celebrating responsible businesses, we are playing a crucial role in building trust in our government and in our free market system.”
The top 10 types of complaints and inquiries received in 2018 are:
Type of Complaint or Inquiry Amount
- Fraudulent/Unwanted Telephone Calls 845
These include complaints about phony IRS tax collection scams, and other
imposter scams, including tech support scams and phony debt collection scams. - Collection Agency Complaints 811
These include disputes about whether debt is owed and the amount of the debt that
is owed, as well as claims of harassment and other conduct by debt collectors. - Contractors 486
These include complaints about general home-repair, remodeling, roofing services,
and other general contractor complaints relating to service, workmanship, and billing. - Telecommunication Providers 411
These include issues such as billing disputes, service or coverage issues, rate changes,
and cancellation and termination issues. - Mortgage Related Matters 299
These involve loan modification and foreclosure issues, including complaints about
payment processing, refinance issues, lenders or servicers reneging on modification
offers, delayed modification approvals while initiating foreclosure, as well as other
general mortgage related issues. - Automobile Dealers 284
These include complaints that relate to the sale of new/used automobiles,
misrepresentations about condition of used cars, loss of trade-in vehicles that
are sold by the dealer before financing is approved, warranty issues, title issues,
and general advertising issues. - Retail Sales 234
These involve complaints relating to negative option billing disputes, service
and delivery issues, along with cancellation and termination issues. - Real Estate Sales and Services 231
These involve complaints relating to real estate agents and brokers, title companies,
property management services, rental/leases, and referral services. - Health and Medical Facilities & Services 223
These include complaints about medical facilities, medical billing, and quality
of care issues. - Business Related Services 201
These include complaints about Secretary of State filing services, wage and hour
compliance documents, and fraudulent invoice schemes.
A number of the complaints involve businesses and individuals against whom the Attorney General has already brought enforcement actions. Publicity about a case, or information sought for purposes of restitution, often result in the filing of additional reports and inquiries. For a comprehensive case list please visit StopFraudColorado.gov.
StopFraudColorado.gov is a website for the Attorney General’s Office’s Consumer Protection Section that is designed to meet the demand for timely, credible information on scams, help victims, and encourage consumers to report fraud. It emphasizes consumer protection outreach and makes it easier for Coloradans to avoid becoming a victim of fraud, while streamlining the process for filing fraud reports.
If you believe you have been defrauded or victimized by a Colorado business or nonprofit, file a report here or by calling 1-800-222-4444.
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CONTACT
Lawrence Pacheco, Director of Communications
(720) 508-6553 office | (720) 245-4689 cell
Email: Lawrence.pacheco@coag.gov