Consumer Advocate 

Child identity theft occurs when someone fraudulently uses a child’s identity for personal gain.

The imposter may be a family member, friend or a stranger. He or she may use the child’s name and Social Security number to open new accounts for cell phones, utilities, credit cards and even mortgages.

File a complaint by Feb. 10, 2012

Ohio has a wealth of both oil and natural gas. Since the late 1860s, Ohio has been home to oil and gas drilling. Oil and gas wells are permitted and regulated by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mineral Resources Management (ODNR-DMRM). In 2010, 431 new oil and gas wells were drilled. There are approximately 64,378 active wells in Ohio.

Ohio's families and communities are under siege by the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs.

A recent execution-style double homicide in Ashtabula County is the latest link in a disturbing chain of prescription drug-fueled crimes. The Ashtabula County sheriff said that the trafficking of OxyContin and Percocet -- the two most popular prescription drugs in his jurisdiction -- was "running wild."

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine wants to make sure the people who rip off our families, friends, and neighbors face criminal penalties.

In early March, Attorney General DeWine announced that former Jackson County Prosecutor Jonathan Blanton will join the office’s Consumer Protection Section to assist local county prosecutors in the preparation and prosecution of consumer fraud cases.

When looking for debt settlement lawyers online, you must find an attorney who has the ability to practice law in Ohio, not just firms that advertise themselves as “national firms.”

The Supreme Court of Ohio Board of Commissioners on Grievances & Discipline issued an advisory opinion on October 7th stating that out-of-state lawyers are not practicing law if they are representing an Ohioan in a debt-settlement case.

Domestic violence is devastating to the victim, family, and community. The Ohio Attorney General's Office works hard to shine a light on this problem and help those who are victims.

One way anyone can show their awareness of domestic violence is to incorporate purple, the official color of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, into their lives during October. This can be done by wearing some type of purple clothing during the month. Another opportunity to show awareness is to use a purple light bulb for a home’s porch light.

November marks National Runaway Prevention Month. It’s an effort to call attention to the estimated 1.6 to 2.8 million children in a year who run away.

Reporting a missing person is the first step a family member or other loved one can take when faced with this situation. There is also the Missing Persons Checklist available from the Ohio Attorney General's Office. Leads to the whereabouts of missing persons can also be submitted.

As part of National Consumer Protection Week (March 6–12), Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced the three winning teams for the 2010 Take Action High School Video Contest.

The first place team was Billy Lewandowski and Todd Thompson from Pymatuning Valley High School (Ashtabula County), who won a $2,500 scholarship for their video, “Too good to be true? It probably is.”

With the cost of college steadily increasing, many Ohioans are looking for creative ways to finance a college education.

To apply for federal financial aid for free, visit www.fafsa.ed.gov. Other similar-sounding websites and companies may charge fees for their services.

For example, a Central Ohio consumer said she completed what she thought was a free government application for financial aid. She later discovered that it was an application to a student aid advisory service that charged $79 to complete the application.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is proud to join government and nonprofit organizations across the country to celebrate National Consumer Protection Week, coming March 4-10, 2012.

National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) is a coordinated campaign that encourages consumers nationwide to take full advantage of their consumer rights and to make better-informed decisions.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is proud to join government and nonprofit organizations across the country to celebrate National Consumer Protection Week, coming March 6-12, 2011.

National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) is a coordinated campaign that encourages consumers nationwide to take full advantage of their consumer rights and to make better-informed decisions.

 Have you ever looked at the phone number appearing on your caller ID and wondered who really was calling you?

A common New Year’s resolution is to live a healthier life by losing weight gained over the holidays.

Many companies have brought back layaway plans for the holiday season. But before you put a purchase on layaway, make sure you understand what it is and how it works.

Layaway plans allow you to pay installments for items on reserve. You receive the item when it is paid in full.

In September 2010, officers of the Central Vice Control Section of the Cincinnati Police Department noticed members of a motorcycle gang at a local bar not known as a biker bar.

Police knew there had been skirmishes between rival gangs and “takeovers” of local bars in which a gang would lock it down and line up patrons to see if any belonged to a rival gang. There were warnings out, too, that a gang’s “enforcer” was in the area.

With so many consumers living on the brink of financial crisis, National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), March 4-10, 2012, aims to help consumers make informed financial decisions through a coordinated consumer education campaign.

Many mobile phones today are essentially mini-computers. They can be conveniently used to browse the Web, check e-mail, and make financial transactions.

But without proper security features, hackers may be able to use fairly simple technology to manipulate your phone and the information stored in it.

If you receive an unexpected check or money order that looks real — beware. It probably is a fake check scam.

How can you tell? Here’s one certain sign: It will direct you to deposit the check into your account and send money in return, keeping a nice “bonus” for yourself.

Many children use the Internet every day, yet parents may not realize what information their children are sharing online, what content they are viewing, or what software they are downloading.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 34 percent of 10- to 17-year-olds had posted their real names, telephone numbers, home addresses, or the names of their schools online, and 45 percent had posted their dates of birth or their ages. Plus, one third of young Internet users (34 percent) had an unwanted exposure to sexual material.

Unwanted phone calls can be frustrating. Calls may come at inconvenient times, and you may have trouble determining who is calling you.

The following will help you understand and deal with unexpected calls.

When you are shipping packages this holiday season, take a few extra steps to ensure safe delivery.

What does it mean to an Ohioan that a section chief in the office of Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine went to Washington this week to accept an award?

If you answered that it means taxpayers’ dollars were saved and people in need of medical care got more help, you’d be right.

While the holidays are a time to be generous, be sure your well-intentioned donations are put to good use.

The 2011 Take Action High School Video Contest, which gives Ohio high school students the opportunity to compete for college scholarships while promoting Internet safety, is open from now until December 15.

Ohio high school students can demonstrate their creative talents and have a chance to win scholarship prizes by entering the 2011 Take Action High School Video Contest.

To enter the contest, high school students may submit a 60-second video on Internet safety. Entries may come from individuals or teams of two students.

Unwanted text messages are not only annoying, but can lead to unauthorized charges on your cell phone bill for services you never requested.

In the last few years, the Ohio Attorney General's Office has seen a rise in complaints dealing with unauthorized phone charges, in some cases connected with unwanted text message spam.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is offering educational tools to help small businesses comply with Ohio consumer law.

The Attorney General’s Office enforces more than 25 consumer laws regarding advertising and business sales practices. To help businesses better understand these laws, the office’s Consumer Protection Section offers a free workshop, “Supporting Ohio Small Businesses,” which covers complying with Ohio consumer law and avoiding scams targeting small businesses.