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Consumer Protection Listening Session: How Can You Protect Your Clients From the Latest Scams
- 1. Oregon Department of Justice Civil Enforcement Division Financial Fraud and Consumer Protection Section
- 2. Overview • Who we are • Top 10 complaints (2014) • Laws we enforce • Legislative Highlights (2015) • Tools and Resources • Results • Top 10 Scam Avoidance Tips
- 3. Who we are The Consumer Protection Section • 14 attorneys • 7 investigators • 6 enforcement officers • Support staff • Law clerks • Multiple volunteers • Within Oregon DOJ. • In a year: we receive over 40,000 complaints over the phone and 12,000 written complaints…. • This does not include referrals from many other sources….
- 4. Top 10 complaints from 2014 • #1 -IRS imposter calls • #2 -Subscriptions • #3 -Telecom. related • #4 – Auto sales • #5 - Financial Services • #6 – Health related • # 7 -International money transfer schemes • #8 – Home Ownership Issues • #9 –Collection Agencies • #10 – Hair, Nail & Skin Services (Forever Young)
- 5. Laws we Enforce Civil Claims available • The Unlawful Trade Practices Act • Financial Exploitation of the Vulnerable – Focus on elder abuse • Antitrust enforcement • The Oregon False Claims Act • Racketeering--civil • Other claims….
- 6. Laws we enforce Consumer Protection Violations • Must occur in the “course of the person’s business, vocation, or occupation.” – ORS 646.607 and ORS 646.608 • Can involve an “unconscionable tactic” – This is a general catch-all------- OR • Can include misrepresentations: – specific laundry list of misrepresentations and/or a failure to disclose
- 7. 2015 legislative highlights DOJ bills that passed • Oregon Student Information Protection Act – Businesses can’t target using student data • Data breaches – AG can enforce/must notify • Anti-phishing – can’t trick out personal data • Telephonic Sellers – now includes business opportunity solicitations • CID Service – ORCP 7 sufficient
- 8. 2015 legislative highlights non- DOJ bills that passed • Going out of business sales – posting requirement • Toxic Free Kids Act – Oregon Health Authority to post; manufacturers must cease use or get a waiver; • Voids payday, title loan or finance loan – unlicensed $50K loan or less void unless DCBS determines otherwise; • Dealer doc prep fees – requires car dealers to actually use processing fees for processing documents to complete transaction; • Reverse mortgages – requires lenders to provide clear disclosures of terms and what can happen upon default;
- 9. 2015 legislative highlights non- DOJ bills that passed • Cancelling cable/telecom service – now you can terminate a contract if a party to the contract dies; • College Financial Aid – prohibits third parties that distribute funds from charging certain types of fees; • GAP waiver – prohibits car dealers from selling guaranteed asset protection waiver as part of a retail installment agreement; • ADAD – prohibits automatic dialing unless recipient can terminate within first 10 seconds and any future calls. • Mortgage payoff statements – allows borrowers to rely on payoff statements to satisfy a loan agreement. However, lenders can amend such statements anytime before…
- 10. Our tools Civil Investigative Demands • Pre-lawsuit • Sent to business • We can seek records or sworn testimony • Non-production means we can shut them down • Not reciprocal
- 11. Our tools Assurance of Voluntary Compliance • Like a consent decree; • Filed in court • No admission of liability • Injunctive terms • Money (restitution and for penalties) • Becomes judgment upon breach • Required to seek this before a lawsuit
- 12. Our tools Litigation •Civil lawsuits •Injunctions –restraining orders •Money judgments
- 13. Resources We will –and have—worked with: • National Association of Attorney Generals – Every state AG’s office • DCBS/DFCS • OSP • DA’s offices • Sheriff’s Offices • PPB/other city PD • Other state agencies • Law firms/private • CFPB • FTC • FCC • IRS • FBI • OIG offices from different agencies • Banks and other financial entities
- 14. Resources Investigations include targets within: • Telecommunications • Pharmaceutical – And health care businesses generally • Mortgage/financial • Debt collection/debt management • Construction related companies • Telemarketing • For profit schools • Auto dealerships and manufacturers • Small businesses - including one person
- 15. Resources Some Limitations • We are the State of Oregon’s attorney • We are not private counsel • We must use discretion on which cases to pursue because….. • Factors include: – Extent of damage; egregiousness – Our available resources, logistics, personnel – Evidence availability – Whether there is, indeed, a law broken.
- 16. Results Assurances of Voluntary Compliance
- 17. Results Judgments, Orders and Contempt
- 18. Top 10 Scam Avoidance Tips • Become Educated • Join the Scam Alert Network • Reduce Junk mail • Check out the business before you buy • Reduce Telemarketing calls • Understand that wiring money is like sending cash • Order your free annual credit report • Read the fine print • Sleep on it • Report Fraud
- 20. Report and Contact info Oregon Department of Justice Civil Enforcement Division Financial Fraud/Consumer Protection Section 1162 Court Street NE Salem, Oregon 97301 503-934-4400 Attorney-in-Charge Jonathan Groux jonathan.groux@doj.state.or.us