NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James kicked off National Consumer Awareness Week by releasing a list of the top 10 consumer complaints received by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in 2022.
The main complaints range from the rising prices of infant formula and children’s medication, to flight cancellations and the dramatic increase in gasoline prices.
Attorney General James also offers advice on how consumers can avoid common scams.
“My office receives thousands of consumer complaints each year, and we take them seriously to prevent fraudsters from harming New Yorkers,” Attorney General James said. “From predatory debt collection to price gouging, scammers have attempted to take advantage of consumers for personal gain, and we have taken the right steps to stop it. As always, I urge New Yorkers to remain vigilant and keep my office informed of potential scams, price gouging or violations of consumer protection laws.”
Here are the top 10 consumer complaints received by the OAG in 2022 by category:
- Retail sales
- Price gouging, retail sales, online shopping, defective merchandise, poor customer service, pet stores and breeders (5,240)
- Owner/Tenant
- Release of security deposits, evictions, harassment of tenants (3,014)
- Credit, banking and mortgages
- Debt collection, credit card billing, debt settlement, payday loans, credit repair, credit reporting agencies, identity theft, banking, loan modification scams, mortgages and services (2,834 )
- Customer service
- COVID-19 testing facilities, alarm companies, dry cleaners, restaurants, moving companies, storage facilities, services for personal household use (2,730)
- Car
- Sales, service, financing, repairs (2,590)
- the Internet
- Internet Services and Service Providers, Data Privacy and Security, Digital Media, Internet Manipulation Fraud (2,355)
- utilities
- Wireless and Home Phone, Electricity, Cable and Satellite Suppliers and Providers (1,896)
- Home repair/improvement
- Repair problems, misleading contractors, solar panel installations (1,264)
- Travels
- Airline customer service, flight cancellations and returns (787)
- gasoline prices
- Price gouging, price gouging, credit card surcharges (661)
For all categories, Attorney General James offers several tips to protect New Yorkers from future scams.
Beware of scammers who create fake websites with images of branded products or hard-to-find products. Before ordering from an unfamiliar website, research the company and reviews online; check the website for spelling mistakes or anything that might seem incorrect. If you don’t shop a lot online, ask a friend or family member who does if the site seems legit. Pay only by credit card and not with Venmo, Zelle or money transfer. And if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.
If you are having trouble paying your rent, contact your local Department of Social Services (DSS). Visit the DSS website to find their statewide offices. New York residents can call 311 and inquire about rental assistance programs.
You can find a full list of advice from James’ office here.
Consumers are encouraged to file a complaint by completing and submitting an online complaint form to the Consumer Fraud and Protection Bureau or by calling (800) 771-7755 if they are unable to submit an online form.