The office of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost works every day to protect families from unfair and deceptive business practices and scams. The office accepts and handles consumer complaints to help resolve issues. In 2024, the office received more than 24,000 complaints.
The Consumer Protection Section tracks complaints in several general categories for reporting purposes. In 2024, the categories generating the most complaints were:
- Motor vehicles
- Professional services
- Shopping
- Home improvement
- Collections
- Utilities
Consumer complaints are handled by specialists using an informal dispute-resolution process. A complaint specialist attempts to resolve the dispute by working with the consumer and the business. Complaint resolution might involve, for example, a refund for the consumer or an adjustment of charges or services. In addition to helping individual consumers, the office also accepts complaints from small businesses and nonprofit organizations.
Complaint specialists are trained to identify problems. If there appears to be a consistent pattern of deceptive behavior, the office may investigate further and possibly take legal action against the business on behalf of all Ohioans. Such legal action aims to stop current bad conduct, prevent future misconduct, and/or obtain restitution or civil penalties.
AG Yost’s consumer protection victories in 2024:
- The Civil Investigative Unit opened 140 cases, and the Civil Legal Unit filed 33 lawsuits, obtaining more than $50 million in judgments.
- The Economic Crimes Unit continued to identify, investigate and prosecute scam artists, opening 426 criminal investigative matters. Working with local law enforcement and county prosecutors, the unit filed seven indictments and obtained 15 convictions. These cases resulted in more than $1,131,911 in consumer restitution orders.
- The Robocall Enforcement Unit encourages Ohioans to not answer or reply to phone numbers they do not recognize. The unit received 8,250 reports of unwanted calls in 2024.
- The goal of the Education Unit is to inform Ohioans about their rights as consumers and to warn them about scams. The Education Unit conducts consumer protection presentations throughout the state to build collaboration and awareness in the fight against fraud and to help protect Ohioans. In 2024, the Education Unit conducted 252 educational events with a combined attendance of 9,756.
Tools for consumers:
Consumers can also turn to the Consumer Protection Section to:
Click
here to learn more or to access the Consumer Protection Section’s free services.
Consumers who believe they have been treated unfairly or been the victim of identity theft and need assistance should contact the Attorney General’s Office at 800-282-0515 or visit www.OhioProtects.org