National Consumer Protection Week is March 1 to March 5
To kick off National Consumer Protection Week, Attorney General Todd Rokita is reiterating his commitment to protecting Hoosier consumers, urging them to report scams and fraudulent business activities to his Office’s Consumer Protection Division.
“Protecting Indiana consumers is a key function of the Office of the Attorney General. I will safeguard our citizens by exposing fraud, holding scammers accountable, and assisting those harmed by deceptive business tactics,†Attorney General Rokita said. “As long as I am Indiana’s attorney general, every week is consumer protection week. We will relentlessly protect consumers from criminals who attempt to scam Hoosiers out of their hard-earned money and we have already taken action to do so.â€
Less than two months into his term, Attorney General Rokita has already taken significant actions on behalf of consumers in Indiana. On Feb. 4, Attorney General Rokita announced a major multistate settlement with McKinsey & Company, from which Indiana received more than $12.5 million.
One of the largest consulting firms in the world, McKinsey & Company contributed to the opioid crisis by promoting marketing schemes and consulting services to opioid manufacturers – including OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma – for over a decade. The $12.5 million Indiana received from the settlement will be used to fund prevention, education, and treatment efforts in Hoosier communities.
Attorney General Rokita is also leading a bipartisan, multistate effort to ensure state attorneys general can effectively fight robocalls. The effort is centered on the enforceability of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act – legislation that is integral to keeping consumers safe from robocalls.
Attorney General Rokita’s Consumer Protection Division mediates and investigates complaints against businesses and other organizations. The division also takes legal action on behalf of the state against individuals and companies that violate Indiana’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act, state and federal privacy laws, and other consumer-related statutes
While the Office of the Attorney General cannot act as a consumer’s personal attorney or provide legal advice to citizens, consumers are encouraged to file consumer complaints if they believe they have been the victim of a scam or fraudulent business activity.
In addition to fielding general consumer complaints, the Consumer Protection Division fields complaints about robocalls, gas gouging, identity theft and mortgage fraud. The Consumer Protection Division also oversees the Indiana Do Not Call List, for which Hoosiers may sign up to eliminate telemarketing calls. Signing up will eliminate most – but not all – telemarketing calls. Under Indiana law, some groups may still contact you.
Attorney General Rokita encourages Hoosiers to review fact sheets on the Consumer Protection Division website about elder financial exploitation, pyramid schemes, safe computing, and other topics. Staying informed is critical to reducing your risk of falling victim to a scam, Attorney General Rokita said.
