New York Attorney General Letitia James kicked off National Consumer Protection Week by releasing a list of the top consumer scams perpetrated against New Yorkers in 2020 — many of which had to do with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis.
The nature of complaints received by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in 2020 reflected great consumer harm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. After analyzing consumer complaints received statewide throughout 2020, the following were found to be the top 10 consumer complaints by category:
– 9,832 complaints – Internet-Related (internet services and service providers, data privacy and security, digital media, data breaches, frauds through internet manipulation)
– 7,701 complaints – COVID-19 Price Gouging (online and brick and mortar gouging of prices for items such as hand sanitizer, masks, gloves, bathroom tissue, food)
– 2,752 complaints – Landlord/Tenant Disputes (security deposit releases, tenant-harassment)
– 2,621 complaints – Health Clubs (continuous charging of fees while clubs were closed, inability to cancel memberships, refunds not provided, no response from clubs)
– 2,561 complaints – Automobile (sales, service, financing, repairs)
– 2,512 complaints – Consumer Services (security systems, tech repairs, immigration services, employment training)
– 1,609 complaints – Retail Sales (any sale of goods: food, clothing, rent-to-own, online orders)
– 1,436 complaints – Credit (debt collection, credit card billing, debt settlement and debt relief, payday loans, credit repair, credit reporting agencies, identity theft)
– 1,378 complaints – Utilities (wireless and residential phones, energy servicers and suppliers, cable and satellite)
– 1,251 complaints – Travel (inability to cancel or lack of refunds for cancellations required by COVID-19 travel restrictions)
Consumers should be vigilant and report instances of fraud to Attorney General James’ office. Consumers are encouraged to file complaints by completing and submitting a Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau online complaint form or by calling (800) 771-7755 if they are unable to submit a form online.
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