Home Repair and Remodeling Complaints Top List for Third Year in a Row; Identify Theft is Number Two
Chicago – In recognition of National Consumer Protection Week, Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced the Top 10 consumer complaints his office received last year and highlighted his office’s work to protect consumers. For the third year in a row, complaints related to home repairs and remodeling topped the list. Complaints about identity theft moved up to the second spot.
“During National Consumer Protection Week, I encourage Illinois residents to visit my office’s website and social media channels to learn more about common consumer complaints and how to protect themselves from fraud and scams,” Raoul said.
In recognition of National Consumer Protection Week, Attorney General Raoul highlighted the most frequent complaints the Attorney General’s office received during 2023.
According to Raoul, consumers contacted the Attorney General’s Office about a variety of home repair and remodeling work, ranging from gutter and roof repairs to new construction. Homeowners reported being dissatisfied with the quality of work, as well as the complete failure by companies to conduct any work after receiving a down payment. Raoul emphasized the importance of researching contractors before making any payments or signing contracts. Raoul also encouraged consumers considering home repairs or remodels to visit the Attorney General’s website for more information about homeowners’ rights and tips to help avoid home repair fraud.
Attorney General Raoul also highlighted that identify theft-related complaints were the second most frequent his office received in 2023. During 2023, consumers filed complaints with Raoul’s office for a variety of reasons, including concerns over disclosures and breaches of their information, having credit cards or other financial products taken out in their names, or having government benefits stolen by impersonators. Raoul reminded consumers to be vigilant about their personal information, particularly online. He urged consumers to change passwords often and avoid using the same passwords for multiple accounts.
The Attorney General also cautioned consumers to be wary of unsolicited contacts via phone calls, texts, or social media messages, even those that appear to sound or look like someone they recognize. With the ever-increasing availability of AI, scammers have a new tool to use to trick unsuspecting consumers into providing personal information or sending money.
Top 10 Breakdown
Raoul’s annual Top 10 list of consumer complaints ranks every complaint his office receives on a range of topics. The Attorney General’s Consumer Fraud Bureau saved consumers more than $9 million through mediation in 2023 and secured more than $76 million through enforcement actions. The office received a total of 19,450 written complaints in 2023, in addition to tens of thousands of phone calls.
|
CATEGORY |
NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS |
|
1. Construction/Home Improvement (remodeling, roofs and gutters, heating and cooling, plumbing) |
2,091 |
|
2. Identity Theft (credit cards, data breaches, utilities, government document fraud) |
1,885 |
|
|
1,683 |
|
|
1,678 |
|
|
1,343 |
|
|
1,249 |
|
|
932 |
|
|
831 |
|
|
647 |
|
|
513 |
Raoul urges Illinois residents who believe they have been the victim of any type of fraud to file a complaint by visiting his office’s website or contacting his office.
Consumer Fraud Hotlines:
1-800-386-5438 (Chicago)
1-800-243-0618 (Springfield)
1-800-243-0607 (Carbondale)
Spanish Language Hotline: 1-866-310-8398
Student Loan Helpline: 1-800-455-2456
Identity Theft Hotline: 1-866-999-5630 (TTY: 1-877-844-5461)
Homeowner Helpline: 1-866-544-7151
