Consumer Fraud

Many types of consumer fraud can ultimately be prosecuted as criminal cases. They might produce charges of stealing, unlawful merchandising practices, fraudulent use of a credit device, forgery or identity theft.

Avoid becoming a victim by remembering these words: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

If you have been defrauded by someone who made false statements to you, knowing that they were false, with the intent to part you from your money, you may have been the victim of a crime. You should report the matter to both your local police department and the Missouri Attorney General’s Toll-Free Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-392-8222.

While the local police or sheriff’s department can put together a case against the criminal for local prosecution, the Attorney General’s office can look into the matter on a state-wide scale, to see if there have been other victims statewide.

The web page of the Missouri Attorney General’s office has a great deal of useful information about consumer fraud, including sections about car repairs, the Motor Vehicle Lemon Law, odometer rollback schemes, used car fraud, charitable giving fraud, door-to-door sales fraud, home repair fraud, landlord and tenant laws, lien laws, warranties, solicitation sales, slamming & cramming, telemarketing fraud, travel scams, vacations timeshares, bank examiner & pigeon drop schemes, investment scams, pyramid schemes, credit repair schemes, identity theft, internet fraud and more.

Link to: Missouri Attorney General's Office