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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Contractors                                                                                                                                    486
   These include complaints about general home-repair, remodeling, roofing services,
   and other general contractor complaints relating to service, workmanship, and billing.
4. Telecommunication Providers                                                                                                       411
   These include issues such as billing disputes, service or coverage issues, rate changes,
   and cancellation and termination issues.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Retail Sales                                                                                                                                        234
   These involve complaints relating to negative option billing disputes, service
   and delivery issues, along with cancellation and termination issues.
8. 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. 
9. Health and Medical Facilities & Services                                                                                        223
   These include complaints about medical facilities, medical billing, and quality
   of care issues.
10. 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