Attorney General: Consumer Issues
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Mailing Address:
Office of the
Attorney General
55 Elm Street
Hartford, Connecticut
06106
 
Telephone:
(860) 808-5318

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Consumer Issues

Auto Issues
 Auto Repair
  The best way to avoid auto repair rip-offs is to be prepared. Knowing how your vehicle works and how to identify common car problems is a good beginning. It's also important to know how to select a good technician, the kinds of questions to ask, and your consumer rights.
 
 Buying a Used Car
  Law in Plain Language: Used Car Sales - As the prices of new cars continue to rise, many consumers take what appears to be a less expensive route: buying a used car. But before you buy a used car, you should know what protections are available to you under the law.
 

Businesses
 Protect Your Business Against Fraud: A Guide For Connecticut's Small Business
  Each year, small businesses are targets of fraudulent or deceptive sales practices. Protect Your Business Against Fraud is a guide designed to help Connecticut's small business employers and employees know in advance about the many varieties of scams that con artists most often attempt in our state and around the country.
 

Consumer Credit
 How to Protect Your Privacy
  The Federal Trade Commission has developed a Privacy Page on its Web site to show consumers how to protect their personal information from public access. The page explains how to protect the privacy of your personal information.
 
 Credit Repair Scams
  Law in Plain Language: Credit Repair Scams - When personal financial problems mount, people in desperate search for financial stability too often succumb to credit repair ploys that only make their problems more severe. For More Information, please read "How to Spot Credit Repair Scams and Correct Your Credit History Yourself".
 
 Consumers Who Fell Victim to Credit Repair Company
  Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Consumer Protection Commissioner Mark A. Shiffrin today announced that 222 consumers will share in nearly $32,000 recovered from a business that promised to repair their credit problems but instead just cost them money.
 
 How to Spot Credit Repair Scams and Correct Your Credit History Yourself
  There's a brisk business among so-called "credit repair" companies that charge from $50 to more than $1,000 to "fix" your credit report. In many cases, these outfits take your money and do little or nothing to improve your credit report. Often, they just vanish.
 
 What's In Your Credit Report
  If you're having trouble getting credit, try checking your credit report yourself. The credit report tells how you've managed your credit in the past. Companies examine your credit report before deciding whether to give you credit. When a company denies your request for credit because of your credit report, it must tell you so and identify the bureau that supplied the report.
 
 How to Correct Mistakes In Your Credit Report
  Review your credit report for any mistakes or information more than seven years old (10 years for bankruptcy). If you don't understand something, ask. The credit bureau is required by law to explain your report to you. If there are mistakes, you can take the following actions:
 
 More Credit Related Scams
  "Gold" or "Platinum" Cards - Beware of promotions for "gold" or "platinum" cards that promise to get you credit and build your credit rating even if your credit history is poor. Checking Account Scams - One of the latest scams making the rounds typically begins with a postcard advertising easy credit approval or low credit card interest rates.
 
 Spotting Credit Repair Scams
  If you are tempted to contact a credit repair company for help, use considerable caution. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a number of state Attorneys General have sued credit repair companies for falsely promising to remove bad information from credit reports. Consider the following:
 
 Credit Reporting Laws
  Have you ever had difficulty getting your credit report or disagreed with the information on the report? Thanks to a new law, your rights to obtain your credit report and to correct inaccurate information are now significantly stronger .
 
 Mortgage Issues
  Mortgage related information
 

Court Actions & Settlements
 Proposed Settlement in Compact Disc Litigation
  Attorney General Blumenthal and the Attorneys General of 42 states, Commonwealths and Territories and counsel for Plaintiff Settlement Class have entered into a proposed Settlement in In re: Compact Disc Minimum Advertised Price Antitrust Litigation, lawsuits which relate to the retail pricing of prerecorded music compact discs, cassettes or vinyl albums (collectively known as prerecorded Music Products). YOU MAY BE A MEMBER OF THE SETTLEMENT GROUP AND YOUR RIGHTS MAY BE AFFECTED BY THIS SETTLEMENT.
 

Funerals
 Shopping for Funeral Services
  Connecticut consumers can pay less for funeral goods and services armed with information in a report released today by Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and the Connecticut Public Interest Research Group (ConnPIRG).
 
 Consumer's Funeral Checklist
  This is an important list for comparing prices and holding the funeral home accountable. If you believe you may have been scammed, contact the Office of the Attorney General at 860-808-5400.
 
 Report on Funeral Home Investigation
  A Consumer Guide to the Prices, Practices, and Regulations of the Funeral Industry Consumers can choose from a wide variety of goods and services when making funeral arrangements, but the uniqueness of the funeral industry poses many challenges to the consumer concerned about cost.
 

Hot Scams
 Nigerian Mail Scam
  Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today warned Connecticut businesses not to fall for a fraudulent scheme that promises millions of dollars for cooperating with Nigerian con artists who claim they are trying to transfer money to U.S. bank accounts.
 
 Consumer Alert Regarding Email Scam
  Attorney General Richard Blumenthal warned consumers today to be wary of an email that asks them for the expiration date and account numbers for their credit cards.
 
 International Lottery Scams
  Scam operators, often based in Canada, are using the telephone and direct mail to entice U.S. consumers to buy chances in a high-stake foreign lottery and use victims' bank account numbers to make unauthorized withdrawals or their credit card numbers to run up additional charges.
 
 Consumer Scams
  Blumenthal Warns Consumers About Sophisticated Scams. An elderly woman loses $43,000 to contests and sweepstakes promotions, an entire town government sees its long-distance telephone service switched without its permission and thousands of Connecticut residents are told that thousands of dollars are waiting for each of them -- if they make a call that ends up costing $25.
 
 Shopping Coupons
  Attorney General Richard Blumenthal warned Connecticut consumers again to never give out bank account or credit card information over the telephone. Attorney General Blumenthal's warning comes in response to a new telephone scam in which scammers offer hundreds of dollars worth of bogus shopping vouchers or gift certificates from stores, such as J.C. Penney and Kmart. The scammers then ask consumers to provide their bank information in order to quickly pay a $4.95 processing fee. The information is then used to withdraw much larger amounts from consumers' bank accounts.
 
 Consumer Alert – Bogus Offer Of Free Health Insurance And A Shopping Spree
  Attorney General Richard Blumenthal warned of a scam by phone to obtain consumers’ bank account information where the caller misrepresents that he or she is from the state Department of Public Health (DPH) and promises free medical insurance for life and a $1,000 shopping spree.
 
 Check-Overpayment and Money Wiring Scams
  Attorney General Richard Blumenthal warned consumers about a scam in which swindlers “buy” items on the Internet with counterfeit cashier's checks greater than the purchase price and then ask sellers to return the difference.
 

Identity Theft
 If You Are Victimized
  Many states have passed laws regulating credit repair companies. This may help if you have lost money to credit repair scams.
 
 Identity Theft
  Attorney General Richard Blumenthal warned consumers today to be wary of an email that asks them for the expiration date and account numbers for their credit cards.
 
 Phishing
  Attorney General Richard Blumenthal renewed his warning to consumers today about potential online scams, including "phishing." "Phishing" is the fraudulent attempt by con-artists to obtain personally identifiable information from the public at large by sending millions of e-mails randomly to anyone with an e-mail address.
 
 Ficticious IRS Forms and Bogus Bank Letter Alert
  Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Identity Theft Alert. How to Avoid Becoming a Victim of Identity Theft
 
 Identity Theft Alert
  A new sophisticated thief is on the horizon, an "identity thief." Identity thieves obtain your important personal information such as social security numbers, and bank or credit card account numbers to commit fraud or theft.
 
 Privacy Protection
  Privacy Protection -- Credit card companies and financial institutions have been sending consumers privacy notices and sometimes confusing information regarding selling and sharing of private information between companies.
 

Internet Issues
 Going Shopping on the Internet? Here are a few tips to keep in mind
  Going Shopping on the internet? Here are a few tips to keep in mind
 
 Choosing an Online Internet Service
  Today, millions of people are signing up for what has become an industry worth billions of dollars annually. There are literally hundreds of companies offering Internet service, including everything from small entrepreneurial firms to telephone companies that want to sell their telephone customers Internet service as well. Here are some tips:
 

Telemarketing
 Telemarketing: New Federal Protection
  State Releases Report On Telephone Solicitors. Connecticut civic, charitable and public safety organizations that used paid telephone solicitors to raise money on average received less than 30 cents for every dollar raised in 1995, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Consumer Protection Commissioner Mark A. Shiffrin announced today.
 

Telephone Scams
 Other Credit Related Scams
  Consumers searching for an easy way out of their credit problems are susceptible to a wide range of credit-related scams in addition to credit repair fraud.
 
 Telephone Scams
  You are promised free gifts, prizes, vacations, "investment/deal of a lifetime", but only if you act "right away." If it sounds to good to be true, it usually is. Telephone con artists are only after your money. Don't give it to them. Some common telephone scams are as follows:
 
 Unauthorized Phone Charges - Part I
  Attorney General Richard Blumenthal warns consumers to carefully review their phone bills for unauthorized switching of their long-distance carrier, commonly known as "slamming," and for outrageous charges for calls that were either never made or made to numbers consumers thought were toll-free.
 
 Unauthorized Phone Charges - Part II
  With the holidays approaching, Connecticut telephone customers will be ringing up their bills as they contact friends and family. But Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is warning consumers to be sure that all of the charges on their telephone bills are for authorized calls or services.
 
 Unauthorized Charge In Service
  Law in Plain Language: Telephone 'Slamming' - Slamming refers to long distance telephone service companies switching consumers' phone service without their knowledge, a practice that has unfortunately become much more frequent recently.
 

Travel Scams
 Consumer Guide To Travel Scams
  CONSUMER GUIDE TO TRAVEL SCAMS - AN INFORMATION GUIDE DEVELOPED BY THE CONNECTICUT OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SENIOR VOLUNTEER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
 

Other Consumer Information
 Bankruptcy: Is it Right For You?
  In these difficult financial times, it has become more and more tempting for individuals to declare bankruptcy as an easy cure for their financial ills. In 1992 alone, about one in fifty households declared bankruptcy. However, you should be aware of the pros and cons about declaring bankruptcy before you decide to do it. It is important to keep in mind that although declaring bankruptcy is a tempting option, it is never a preferred choice if you can avoid it.
 
 Consumer Myths: Top 10
  The "Top 10 consumer Myths"have been compiled by members of the National Association of Attorneys General and the Connecticut Office of Attorney General
 
 Home Improvement
  This brochure is designed to help the senior consumer who is planning a home improvement project. Problems with home improvement contractors rank near the top of all complaints received by various agencies of the State of Connecticut.
 
 Federal Trade Commission Oil and Gas Web site
  For updated information regarding the price of gasoline and what you can do to get the most out of every gallon you may visit the FTC's web site dedicated to oil and gasoline related issues including fuel conservation and market information.
 

Consumer Resources
 Other Attorneys General
  Attorneys General in Other Jurisdictions
 
 Better Business Bureau
  The Connecticut Better Business Bureau is an independent non-profit, non-governmental organization established by businesses within our community.
 
 Connecticut Department of Banking Cyberfraud Site
  Protect Yourself Against CyberFraud
 
 Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
  The Department of Consumer Protection's mission is to ensure a fair and equitable marketplace, safe products and services for consumers in the industries that we license, regulate and enforce.
 
 Consumer Product Safety Commission
  The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products.
 
 Federal Trade Commission
  The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) works to ensure that the nation’s markets are vigorous, efficient and free of restrictions that harm consumers.
 
 National Charities Information Bureau
  The Alliance reports on nationally soliciting charitable organizations that are the subject of donor inquiries.
 
 National Fraud Information Center
  The NFIC was originally established in 1992 by the National Consumers League, the oldest nonprofit consumer organization in the United States, to fight the growing menace of telemarketing fraud by improving prevention and enforcement.
 
 Public Interest Research Group
  U.S. PIRG is an advocate for the public interest. When consumers are cheated, or our natural environment is threatened, or the voices of ordinary citizens are drowned out by special interest lobbyists, U.S. PIRG speaks up and takes action.
 
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