February 8, 2012 Vol. 91 No. 6
Attorney General Koster announces top ten scams for 2011.
On Alert! Attorney General Chris Koster has released a list of the top ten most common consumer complaints and scams reported to his office in 2011. Violations of Missouri’s No-Call Law topped the annual list with more than 22,000 complaints, more than twice the number of all other complaints combined. Many of those complaints involved calls to cell phones, which are not currently covered by the law. “I have asked the Missouri General Assembly to allow consumers to add their cell phone numbers to the no-call list,” Koster said. “Missourians deserve their privacy. Our No-Call law has been incredibly successful in preventing unwanted calls going into consumers’ homes. Now it is time to take the next step and extend that privacy to cell phones.” Complaints about debt collectors came in second this year. “Federal laws limit how far debt collectors can go to pursue debt,” Koster said. “Your best protection against harassing and abusive calls from debt collectors is to know your rights. The Federal Trade Commission provides a debt collection guide for Consumers on their website.” The FTC Consumer Guide is available at http:// www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/ credit/cre18.shtm. Koster encourages all consumers to file their complaints with his office so that he can investigate scams, mediate complaints when possible, and take legal action when necessary to protect Missouri citizens. Consumers can register complaints by telephone at 800392-8222, online at www.ago.mo.gov, or by mail at P.O. Box 899, Jefferson City, MO 65102. Below are the top ten scams reported to the Attorney General’s Office in 2011: 1. NO-CALL COMPLAINTS (22,225 complaints) – On average, consumers file approximately 89 complaints against telemarketers each working day. Koster warns consumers to be wary of giving any financial information over the telephone and to do so only when the consumer initiates the call.
IN this Issue
2. DEBT COLLECTORS (1873 complaints) – The Attorney General’s Office experienced an increase in the number of complaints filed against debt colAround Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
lectors in the last year. Many consumers indicate they are being harassed for debts they may not even owe. Others claim the debt collection agencies are abusive, threatening, and include repeated calls when attempting to collect a debt. Koster encourages consumers to be aware of their rights and to file complaints with his office if they believe they are being illegally harassed by debt collectors.
4. CREDIT AND DEBIT CARD (1126 complaints) – A fourth major category of complaints by consumers in 2011 was unauthorized charges on credit and debit cards. Scams such as these can oc-
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3. TELEPHONE CRAMMING and BILLING (1281 complaints) – “Cramming” is when a consumer receives a charge on his phone bill for services he did not order. Consumers should thoroughly review their telephone bill each month for evidence of cramming, which can include charges as small as $1 or $2. The Attorney General’s Office also received many complaints regarding unauthorized fees from third parties on their telephone bills. Koster advises consumers who notice unwarranted charges to contact their carrier and request that the charge be removed and a refund issued. Learn & Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
cur by telephone, email, or text messaging. The Attorney General recommends that consumers never authorize direct bank account debits or reveal their bank
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