NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — New York Attorney General Letitia James ushered in National Consumer Protection Week by announcing a list of the top 10 consumer fraud complaints received by her office last year.
1. Internet (8,346 complaints): internet services and service providers, data privacy and security, digital media, data breaches, frauds through internet manipulation.
2. Landlord/Tenant (3,144 complaints): security deposit, releases and tenant-harassment.
3. Retail Sales (2,678 complaints): price gouging, defective merchandise, poor customer service, pet stores and animal breeders.
4. Services (2,610 complaints): COVID-19 testing facilities, alarm companies, dry cleaners, restaurants, movers, services for personal household use.
5. Automobile (2,283 complaints): sales, service, financing, repairs
6. Credit (1,539 complaints): debt collection, credit card billing, debt settlement and debt relief, payday loans, credit repair, credit reporting agencies, identity theft.
7. Utilities (1,145 complaints): wireless and residential phones, energy services and suppliers, cable, and satellite.
8. Home Repair/Improvement (1,034 complaints): repair issues, deceitful contractors.
9. Health Clubs (778 complaints): inability to cancel memberships, inability to access facilities, refunds not provided, no response from clubs.
10. Furniture/Appliances (611 complaints): defective merchandise, delivery problems, and service and repair issues.
"Let this list serve as a warning to all New Yorkers to keep their guard up against scam artists," James said. "From inaccurate turnaround times for COVID-19 test results to deceitful debt collectors, scammers took advantage of these difficult times to mislead and deceive New Yorkers."
She added. "My office is committed to rooting out fraudsters and protecting all New Yorkers, young and old, from harm. Consumers have been valuable in helping my office identify and eradicate fraud, and I urge them to remain vigilant."
James also provided a number of tips on how consumers can avoid common scams.
