HARRISBURG, Pa. — In recognition of National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (AG) is sharing tips to spot scams, what to do if you fall victim and how they are shielding consumers.
“Protecting Pennsylvania consumers from being victimized by scam artists is a top priority of our Office,” said Acting AG Michelle A. Henry. “Whether that scam originates on the street corner or in a corporate board room, our staff will investigate and take action to defend affected consumers. Last year, we saved Pennsylvanians more than $210 million—and we’re committed to fighting for them, securing restitution, and protecting their hard-earned dollars.”
The AG will post tips on their social media pages—which can be found on their website—for the entire week, from March 5 to 11.
To kick off the week, here is how consumers can file a complaint if they believe they have fallen victim to a scam:
- By submitting a form online
- By calling the hotline: 1-800-441-2555
- By emailing: scams@attorneygeneral.gov
Henry also highlighted a few of the consumer protection actions the AG has taken in the last year:
- A major settlement with Navient, one of the nation’s largest student loan servicers, to resolve allegations of widespread unfair, deceptive and abusive student loan servicing practices and abuses in originating predatory student loans. This settlement netted $1.7 billion in debt cancellation and $95 million in restitution; $70 million for Pennsylvania borrowers
- A $1.6 million settlement with CashPoint, a.k.a. Dominion Management of Delaware, a now defunct auto title loan business. CashPoint made thousands of unlawful loans to Pennsylvanians at annual interest rates exceeding 200%. This settlement refunded more than $1.6 million in unlawful interest charges and many consumers received debt cancellation at a total of $3.2 million.
- A $2.58 million judgment against Delta Auto Protect, an auto warranty company. Consumers were led to believe when they signed a contract with Delta future vehicle repairs would be covered. Consumers paid $1000-$3000 in premiums to begin coverage. However, when the consumers later made claims for covered repairs, Delta failed to honor their end of the contract. The court order set aside more than $1.7 million for customer restitution.
- A $2.2 million settlement with former used-car dealership, Carhop. Carhop operated two “buy here, pay here” dealerships in Carnegie and in Monroeville. “Buy here, pay here” dealerships operate as both the seller and lender by offering in-house financing. Most of Carhop’s consumers were credit-challenged. Under the settlement, the $2.2 million was used to provide debt relief for current and former customers.
