(Media release from the Office of Georgia’s Attorney General Chris Carr):
Attorney General Chris Carr on Thursday announced that the Office of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division helped more than 206,000 consumers and obtained civil recoveries totaling over $178 million for Georgians and the state between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022 (FY 2022).
“One of our top priorities is to protect Georgia consumers from dishonest business practices and fraudsters who are always coming up with new ways to take advantage of people,” said Carr. “Through strong enforcement efforts and educational outreach, we are working to stop bad behavior in its tracks, assist those impacted, and prevent consumers from falling victim to scams and deception in the first place. We are proud of our results, and we encourage Georgians to contact our office with questions or concerns about any consumer-related matter.”
Enforcement Efforts
During the previous fiscal year alone, the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division obtained civil recoveries totaling over $178.6 million for consumers and the state on matters involving, among other things, deceptive advertising, sales and marketing practices; abusive debt collection activities; failure to provide goods and services after accepting payment; and obtaining repurchased or replacement vehicles under Georgia’s Lemon Law.
The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division receives hundreds of consumer complaints a month and investigates those businesses that demonstrate a pattern or practice of unlawful behavior. In fact, the office responded to over 26,000 complaints just last year.
Consumer Education
Throughout FY 2022, the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division reached hundreds of thousands of individuals through consumer education and outreach efforts.
Specifically, the office distributed educational materials to over 37,400 consumers across the state. This includes copies of the Georgia Consumer Protection Guide for Older Adults, which was released in Korean in May 2022. This is in addition to the English and Spanish-language versions already made available to the public. The guide includes an array of topics of importance to seniors, such as scams, identity theft, credit and debt, reverse mortgages, charitable giving, home repairs, funerals, advance directives, long-term care, elder abuse and more. Download your copy here.
In addition, the Consumer Protection Division continued to highlight and share Cybersecurity in Georgia: A Guide for Small Businesses, Non-Profits and Places of Worship. This guide includes critical tips and information about the different types of cyber threats, protecting your data and network, training employees about cybersecurity, planning for and responding to a security breach, cyber insurance and more. Download your copy here.
Throughout FY 2022, the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division connected with nearly 800 consumers through more than a dozen live speaking engagements and webinars conducted across the state, including:
- A series of military consumer presentations for soldiers stationed at Fort Benning
- Participation in the Senior Resource Fair at the Coweta County Fairgrounds
- Online events with local agencies, like the Fulton County Department of Senior Services
- Presentations with the AARP, the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission
In addition, the office reached more than 609,000 consumers via its two dedicated web sites:
- Consumer.ga.gov, where Georgians can file a complaint, find information on a wide variety of consumer topics and read the office’s latest press releases.
- ConsumerEd.ga.gov, where consumers can access valuable information to help them make wise decisions about their homes, cars, credit and finances. Georgians can also view and subscribe to “Ask Consumer Ed,” the bi-weekly blog that includes Consumer Protection Division responses to consumer-submitted questions.
Resources
To file a complaint about a business or report an alleged scam, contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division by calling 404-651-8600 or visit our website here.
Receive consumer information direct to your email by subscribing to the “Ask Consumer Ed” blog at ConsumerEd.ga.gov.
Follow the Office of the Attorney General’s official Twitter or Facebook account to stay up-to-date on the latest news, including important and timely consumer alerts.
If you want the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division to speak to your group, download a speaker request form here.
