The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) for Washington DC received over 2,500 consumer complaints last year, which is the highest level ever, according to a report released by DC Attorney General Karl Racine.
In a new report published during Consumer Protection Week, Racine’s office stated that the number of comsumer complaints increased approximately 70 percent over the course of the previous two years.
“Our office is seeing a substantial increase in complaints by DC residents being misled by deceptive businesses, scammers, and fraudsters. Not unlike our housing work, DC residents are increasingly looking to our office to assist them when they feel wronged,” Racine said in a press release. “Our Consumer Protection Office has worked diligently to fight these bad actors and as a result, have successfully returned more than $5.6 million to District residents last year alone.”
The Attorney General urged residents who have been victims of deceptive businesses to file a complaint with OAG, adding that his office would keep educating the public about unfair practices by such businesses and individuals.
In 2021, the most complaints that came from residents concerned housing and retail industries. A total of 290 complaints were filed about apartments and rental units, which was followed by complaints related to home improvement and contracting services.
“In some cases, OAG has brought enforcement actions against home improvement companies where it has received multiple complaints reflecting a pattern or practice of illegal conduct,” OAG said.
Other consumer complaints received by OAG are regarding refunds (301 complaints), billing (177 complaints), and cancellation issues (45 complaints).
Tech support scams, imposter scams, phishing scams, and lottery scams are also among the most frequently reported scams in 2021.
If you have been subjected to scams, fraud, or unfair business practices, consider contacting OAG’s Office of Consumer Protection by:
- Texting (202) 738-5212
- Messaging OAG using the chat feature at: oag.dc.gov/consumer
- Submitting a complaint online at: https://oag.dc.gov/consumer-protection/submit-consumer-complaint
- Calling (202) 442-9828
- Emailing consumer.protection@dc.gov