Protecting Consumers

Attorney General Josh Stein works to protect new york consumers from scams and frauds. Stein along with his customer Protection Division have actually assisted thousands and thousands of customers as if you have more than $100 million of the cash back, while having helped win $250 million in savings in your energy prices.

How Exactly We Help Customers

We want to help if you’ve been tricked or scammed.

Attorney General Josh Stein’s Consumer Protection specialists protect new york customers. We fight unfair company techniques like frauds and frauds. We’ve assisted a huge selection of huge number of customers as you have more than $100 million of one’s cash back, and have now helped win $250 million in savings in your energy rates.

File A issue

You can easily file a grievance with us and we’ll work to eliminate it. We react to 20,000 customer complaints every year. If we look for a pattern of unlawful company techniques, we are able to enforce regulations on the behalf of all new york consumers. Although we can’t express you in a personal appropriate case, we possibly may manage to assist in the event that you didn’t get everything you taken care of or had been tricked into a negative deal.

Get Recommendations

You want to assist you to avoid issues right away. View the video taking a stand, Fighting Back to find out about frauds and scams. Before you file an issue, read our customer information. We give an explanation for legislation and present consumers great tips on many subjects, like simple tips to stop telemarketing phone calls, get a reasonable loan or purchase a car that is new.

Top Consumer Recommendations

Say no to sales pitches that are high-pressure. In the event that offer is good today, leave.
Constantly browse contracts very carefully before you signal them, and also make yes all written papers match everything you’ve been guaranteed. Never ever signal a document which you don’t realize or that features blanks to later be filled in.
Be aware whenever responding to telemarketers, door-to-door vendors, and email or text pitches. In place of giving an answer to unsolicited offers, decide when and where you wish to shop.
You not have to create a purchase or spend taxes, costs or other costs ahead of time to win a reward. Anybody who demands an upfront charge for a reward is attempting to scam you.
Never ever give your Social Security Number out, charge card or bank-account quantity or other information that is personal to anyone you don’t understand who contacts you.
Be skeptical of upfront charges. New york law helps it be illegal to get advance charges for a few forms of work, such as for example foreclosure debt and assistance settlement assistance. If an advance payment is necessary for any other kinds of deals, make use of a bank card whenever possible. This provides you some security should your purchase does arrive or the n’t work is not finished.
Sell to businesses you understand or that come recommended by those you trust. Have a look at organizations utilizing the Attorney General’s Office at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or your Better that is local Business before you make major acquisitions.
Join the Try not to Phone registry to lessen undesirable telemarketing telephone telephone calls. To join up, call 1-888-382-1222 through the number you want to www.donotcall.gov register or go to. When you’re regarding the list, report Do No Call violators to your Attorney General’s workplace.
Look at your credit history regularly. You’re entitled to 1 free credit history each year from each nationwide credit bureau. To get into your free credit reports, see www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.
If an offer appears too good to be real, it most likely is.

Customer Alerts & Columns

Read our alerts to discover more on the newest frauds, or register with have our alerts brought to you by e-mail. You can even get suggestions about steer clear of common issues from Attorney General Stein’s consumer columns.

Identification Theft

Moms and dads is now able to get yourself a consumer that is protected freeze to shield kids against identification thieves.

Adult customers will get a security that is free to help keep thieves from making use of your credit plus a free of charge credit file on a yearly basis.

If you’re a target of identification theft, we could help you to get started repairing the destruction.

Telemarketing

Registering for the usually do not Call Registry provides you with the right to determine who calls you in the home.

In the event that you’ve accompanied record but nevertheless get telephone calls from telemarketers, inform us. We’ve taken action against a large number of businesses, for illegal telemarketing, winning a lot more than $1 million from violators. Some telemarketers are crooks out to steal your cash. Stein’s consumer security group shuts down telemarketing fraudulence bands and helps victims manage to get thier cash back whenever possible.

Mortgages

Purchasing a property has become the many essential purchase you’ll ever make. We investigate and prosecute mortgage fraudulence and provide suggestions about avoiding unfair loans. We’re additionally assisting North Carolinians prevent unneeded house foreclosures.

View our customer security video Standing Up, battling Back to find out about how to prevent frauds.

Avoid Consumer Scams

Scammers are often picking out brand new tricks and twists to take your hard-earned cash.

To guard your self from customer frauds and frauds, keep in mind:

Never ever share your Social Security quantity, bank account or credit card information with somebody you don’t understand who calls you or email messages you.
Walk away from high-pressure vendors who let you know that you need to come to a decision straight away.
Don’t indication any agreement or any other documents unless you’ve had to be able to read and realize it.
Never spend cash upfront to obtain that loan or win a lottery or sweepstakes.
Don’t react to letters or e-mails that request you to help move money in your bank wire or account cash from the country.
Don’t money checks you receive within the mail along side a letter or call that tells you you’ve won a prize that is unexpected. The checks are many likely fake.
Always check out a company with Attorney General Josh Stein’s customer Protection Division at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM before you are doing company together with them.

It is possible to learn how to prevent the latest frauds and frauds by reading our customer alerts and columns. You may want to register with have alerts emailed to you personally.

You are able to view our customer security movie and marriagemindedpeoplemeet viewed me discover ways to file a issue if you’re the target of a fraud or bad deal.

E mail us for Assistance

In the event that you want to learn to be a smarter consumer, call Attorney General Josh Stein’s consumer hotline toll free within North Carolina at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or (919) 716-6000 if you think you’ve been the victim of a scam, or. You can even register a customer complaint online.