Question of the day
Tuesday, Mar 5, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AG Raoul…
In recognition of National Consumer Protection Week, Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced the Top 10 consumer complaints his office received last year and highlighted his office’s work to protect consumers. For the third year in a row, complaints related to home repairs and remodeling topped the list. Complaints about identity theft moved up to the second spot.
“During National Consumer Protection Week, I encourage Illinois residents to visit my office’s website and social media channels to learn more about common consumer complaints and how to protect themselves from fraud and scams,” Raoul said.
In recognition of National Consumer Protection Week, Attorney General Raoul highlighted the most frequent complaints the Attorney General’s office received during 2023. […]
1. Construction/Home Improvement (remodeling, roofs and gutters, heating and cooling, plumbing) 2,091
2. Identity Theft (credit cards, data breaches, utilities, government document fraud) 1,885
3. Consumer Debt (residential mortgage lending, banks/financial institutions, collection agencies) 1,683
4. Motor Vehicle/Used Auto Sales (as-is used cars, financing, advertising, warranties) 1,678
5. Promotions/Schemes (phone scams, work-at-home scams, lottery scams, investment schemes, phishing) 1,343
6. Internet/Mail Order Products (internet and catalog purchases, TV and radio advertising) 1,249
7. Telecommunications (cable and satellite TV, telemarketing, wireless phones, phone service and repairs) 932
8. Motor Vehicle/Non-Warranty Repair (collision, engines, oil changes and tune-ups) 831
9. Motor Vehicle/New Auto Sales (financing, defects, advertising) 647
10. Government Agencies (Local agencies, state agencies, federal agencies) 513
Raoul urges Illinois residents who believe they have been the victim of any type of fraud to file a complaint by visiting his office’s website or contacting his office.
* The Question: Have you ever been the victim of one of these scams/issues? Explain.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 12:20 pm:
I got ghosted by a contractor who didn’t finish all of the work agreed to in writing. My mistake was paying him too much (but not all) before the work was completely done. I did not file a complaint though, and frankly, was glad he left after finishing the main part of the work.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 12:28 pm:
Probably 30 - 35 years ago when debit cards were relatively new, one of my banks servers got hacked and they pretty much cleaned out my checking account, my savings account, and even my line of credit associated with those accounts. “I” was buying wine in France, rare books in Italy, and I forget what else in North Africa.
my bank promised to cover my in the mail mortgage payment to a different bank, but they missed it. Luckily I had told the other bank what was going on, so that didn’t turn into an issue. It took a couple of weeks to get it all straightened out, but I was made completely whole.
These days (and for years now) I still have text messages for just about any activity on any of my credit / debit / bank accounts.
- Proud Papa Bear - Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 12:32 pm:
I was targeted during the pandemic. I received a debit card in the mail for my unemployment benefits even though I’d never been out of work.
I’m still not sure how the scam would have worked but it was a big hassle trying to convince this bank that the person who made a claim in my name was not me.
- JB13 - Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 12:45 pm:
About 12 years ago, someone at a local pizza joint apparently shared my debit card info with some friends and bought about $400 in fast food and beer. Bank locked down our account, refunded the money, and police took the report and shrugged because “It happens.”
Never gave anyone debit card number like that again. (Yes, I know it was careless. Once bitten, twice shy, always living and learning, etc)
- Huh? - Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 12:48 pm:
ID theft. Received an email from my HR department asking if I had recently applied for unemployment benefits. Turns out someone had applied in my name. Spent about 4 hours locking down accounts, filing police reports, blocking credit reports, etc. Still have the manila envelope with hard copies on the floor next to my desk.
- Appears - Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 1:11 pm:
This is more minor than what is listed above, but very mainstream in IL. The price of gas. Yesterday the price of gas went from 3.57 to 3.94 and then back down to 3.79 in Quincy. This is about $1 more a gallon than Hannibal, MO (which is about 20 miles a way). The difference in gas taxes isn’t $1 a gallon. It is impacting the Quincy economy. People will visit Hannibal once a week to fill up the gas tank. While there, they may go out to eat, shop at Walmart, grocery shop, etc.
In numerous cases, gas in small towns around Quincy can be 40 cents a gallon cheaper than Quincy.
- clec dcn - Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 1:31 pm:
I have one purchase by credit card on internet that was fraud. They did not have the item at all, but credit card company made it good. Remember always pay with major credit card and not a debit card you have much better and faster response to not getting what is supposed to be delivered.
- Slugger O'Toole - Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 1:40 pm:
Had an unaccounted for ATM withdrawal from Chino, CA while I was traveling in Springfield. Bank made it right and I spent the day singing ‘Friend of The Devil’. Winner. Winner. Found out later that Chino is kind of a tough place and is home to many scammers.
- Leslie K - Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 2:35 pm:
Plumbing scam. My basement drain was backing up shortly after I bought my first house. I called a nationally branded plumber who came and cleaned it out, but also ran a camera through the drain out to the street and showed me all the “cracks.” Said it all needed to be ripped out, they would have to tear up my yard and bushes, and it would be $7000 (this was in 2007). I was so busy and overwhelmed with work that I almost agreed to it. But a person I worked with happened to have been a plumber. So I asked him. He just made a face, shook his head, and gave me the name of the plumber he used to work for.
What the first guy claimed were cracks either were seams or he was showing me footage from someone else’s drain. Nothing had to be replaced. I had the honest plumber do some minor additional work and haven’t had a problem since. I did get suspicious when the first guy slipped up and said they record the camera footage ‘for court.’ He saw a single woman he thought he could scam.
- Pot calling kettle - Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 4:24 pm:
I have had credit card numbers stolen on a couple of occasions. I do not use auto-pay and always read each credit card statement every month; the credit card companies have always made me whole.
I recently had a friend who had issues with a small contractor. I have not had those issues because (I believe) I always use Union contractors for work on my home. The work is always top quality, and I feel that the ability to complain to the Union locals is a nice back-up to other routes.
- Space Cowboy - Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 4:33 pm:
I played in an orchestra type band that the music department at my university put on for non music majors to give then some elective credit.
There was a guy in it one year who was pushing everyone in it HARD to join one of those ponzi scheme sales type jobs. I know a few people that fell for it and soon regretted it. Eventually the guy just kinda disappeared…guess he knew the game was up.
- Leslie K - Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 6:30 pm:
My earlier attempt got auto-filtered, so here’s another try: 2007. Plumber affiliated with a national name claimed my main sewer drain to the street had multiple severe cracks and had to be replaced (tearing up the yard, removing my bushes) for $7000.
I almost fell for it (so, almost victim), but I had a work colleague who used to be a plumber. He put me in touch with the plumber he used to work for. Complete lie. Honest plumber did a little bit of work and I haven’t had a problem since.
At the time I did think it was odd when the first one said they keep the camera video for court…
- Give Us Barabbas - Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 8:48 pm:
Have posted this before; we were victimized by an out of state, internet- based cremation service called Legacy, also called Heritage, pretending to be an Illinois company. They have a rap sheet with the feds for some horrible crimes. In our case they lost mom’s body for months, and neither the AG nor SOS could do a thing about it because they have no enforcement mechanisms for out of state internet based businesses. It was Comptroller Mendoza’s office that came to our rescue, finding mom, getting the cremation done and delivering her ashes and her critical paperwork to our door. Her people go above and beyond, they are fanatical about constituent services. I’ll never forget what they did for me.