For the eighth year in a row, consumer debt topped Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s annual top 10 consumer complaints list, but a new type of complaint also made an appearance.
Education-related complaints made the list for the first time, with 1,523 complaints and a No. 7 spot on the list.
“Unfortunately students who are saddled with crushing debt and who have been misled from achieving their goals submit regular complaints to my office,” Madigan said in a news release. “Too many students are unable to build the futures they worked so hard to achieve, and my office will continue to combat the many scams targeting these students.”
In 2015, the Attorney General’s office received 25,094 complaints. Below, a list of the top 10 complaints.
1. Consumer debt (mortgages, collection agencies, banks): 3,350 complaints
2. Identity Theft (government document fraud, credit cards, utilities, data breaches): 2,636 complaints
3. Telecommunications (telemarketing, cable and satellite TV, phone service and repairs, cell phones): 2,188 complaints
4. Construction/Home Improvement (remodeling, roofs and gutters, heating and cooling, plumbing): 2,167 complaints
5. Used Auto Sales/Motor Vehicles (as-is used cars, financing, warranties): 1,835 complaints
6. Promotions/Schemes (phone scams, investment schemes, lottery scams, phishing): 1,813 complaints
7. Education (for-profit schools, student loan debt, loan counseling): 1,523 complaints
8. Internet/Mail Order Products (Internet and catalog purchases, TV and radio advertising): 1,019 complaints
9. Fraud Against Business (consulting services, equipment leasing, directories and publications): 726 complaints
10. Motor Vehicle/Non-Warranty Repair (collision, engines, oil changes and tune-ups): 714 complaints
For more information about consumer fraud or to contact her office about consumer fraud issues, visit the Illinois Attorney General’s website.
Follow Kristen Thometz on Twitter: @kristenthometz
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