CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - The Illinois attorney general has revealed the top ten complaints issued by state consumers last year.
In correlation with National Consumer Protection Week, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul shared the list.
Complaints regarding construction/home improvement, consumer debt and identity theft made up the top three.
It's no surprise, identity theft ranked high, Raoul noted.
“Identity theft was among our top three consumer complaints last year. As we increasingly shop online and use apps that collect personal data, my office is working to help consumers protect their information by educating them about best practices and holding accountable those who violate their privacy or do not reasonably protect their personal information,” Raoul said.
He touted the steps his office took to strengthen digital privacy for Illinois consumers in 2022. The AG noted the $391 million national settlement with Google he helped orchestrate after he and other AGs’ investigation showed Google misled consumers about its location tracking practices.
Raoul also mentioned the $1.2 million settlement Illinois residents received from the credit card reporting company Experian for a 2015 data breach.
Last year, the AG’s Consumer Fraud Bureau saved Illinois consumers more than $8 million through arbitration and garnered $207 million from demanding actions, Raoul said.
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In 2022, the AG’s office obtained about 20,000 written complaints as well as thousands of phone calls.
Here is the complete complaint list:
Construction/Home Improvement (remodeling, roofs and gutters, heating and cooling, plumbing): 2,114 complaints
2. Consumer Debt (residential mortgage lending, banks/financial institutions, collection agencies): 1,947 complaints
3. Identity Theft (credit cards, data breaches, utilities, government document fraud): 1,911 complaints
4. Motor Vehicle/Used Auto Sales (as-is used cars, financing, advertising, warranties): 1,682 complaints
5. Internet/Mail Order Products (internet and catalog purchases, TV and radio advertising): 1,320 complaints
6. Promotions/Schemes (phone scams, work at home scams, lottery scams, investment schemes, phishing: 1,239 complaints
7. Telecommunications (cable and satellite TV, telemarketing, wireless phones, phone service and repairs): 968 complaints
8. Motor Vehicle/Non-Warranty Repair (collision, engines, oil changes and tune-ups): 731 complaints
9. Motor Vehicle/New Auto Sales (financing, defects, advertising): 702 complaints
10. Health/Medical Services (COVID-19 testing, hospitals/doctors/pharmacy, nursing homes, vision/dental): 634 complaints
Consumers can file a complaint via Raoul’s website or contact his office.
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