Attorney General Rayfield Notes Consumer Complaints Nearly Doubled Over the Past Year
As part of National Consumer Protection Week, Attorney General Dan Rayfield is releasing the top 10 consumer complaints in 2024 to the Oregon Department of Justice. The number of complaints to the Consumer Hotline doubled, showing the increased need for the work being done in the Civil Enforcement Division at DOJ.
“Having spent almost two decades in private practice working on consumer protection cases, ensuring every Oregonian has a place to turn when they’ve been harmed is a top priority for our team– and that continues to be a priority for me as attorney general,” Rayfield said. “The Oregon Department of Justice will keep pushing forward on cases that help our citizens and hold the people who take advantage of them accountable. If you think you’ve been scammed, report it right away – the sooner we know, the sooner we can help.”
There were numerous significant settlements in 2024 that directly impacted Oregon consumers. In one case, the state received $2.1 million from Marriott involving a data breach that exposed millions of guest records. The funds will go toward supporting the Oregon DOJ’s investigative, consumer protection and consumer education efforts. In addition to the monetary payment, Marriott agreed to strengthen its data security going forward.
In another high-profile case, DOJ sued Camping World and will recover $3 million for customers who paid more than the advertised price for an RV.
Oregonians also now have another tool to protect their consumer rights. The Oregon Consumer Privacy Act went into effect in 2024, giving consumers more control over their personal and sensitive data. Under the new law, certain businesses must limit the collection of personal information, keep it secure, and provide extra protection for the data of children and teens. DOJ recently updated its consumer privacy website with new materials to educate consumers about their Oregon privacy rights, including FAQs, templates to help consumers make privacy rights requests, and a privacy rights complaint form.
Attorney General Rayfield plans to proactively work to take on predatory lenders, scam artists, identity theft, credit fraud, and abusive practices by insurance companies, and improve and expand the state’s efforts to make sure consumers are treated legally and fairly in the marketplace. He also plans to establish a Working Families Unit at DOJ – a new labor enforcement team to ensure all Oregonians’ rights are protected in the workplace.
“We want to protect people, whether that be safeguarding their health, their safety or their wallets,” Rayfield said. “Every year we recover more money for Oregonians who’ve been ripped off or scammed by companies or organizations. This top 10 list helps us identify patterns, prioritize areas that need attention, and spread resources effectively.”
The top ten list of consumer complaints in 2024 are:
- Telecommunications (1229)
- Fraudulent Entity/Imposter scams (1135)
- Auto Sales and Repair (1050)
- Financial Credit and Lending (741)
- Health/Medical (569)
- Travel Services (525)
- Grocery Food and Beverage (290)
- Real Estate (274)
- Construction Contractors (219)
- Manufacturing (211)
The Attorney General’s Office Consumer Hotline received 22,436 calls and 9,241 written complaints. For the fifth year in a row, telecommunications, imposter scams and auto sales and repairs all landed in the top three. Towing was the only category to drop off, replaced by health and medical complaints at number five.
Download Oregon Department of Justice’s free materials on scam and fraud prevention: https://www.doj.state.or.us/consumer-protection/sales-scams-fraud/more-scams-fraud-resources/
Sign up for Oregon Department of Justice’s free Scam Alert Network: https://www.doj.state.or.us/consumer-protection/scam-alert-network/
If you have fallen victim to a fraud or scam, contact the Oregon Department of Justice online at www.oregonconsumer.gov or call the Attorney General’s Consumer Hotline at 1-877-877-9392.