Attorney general marks Consumer Protection Week

ATLANTA — Attorney General Chris Carr is joining a group of federal, state and local government agencies and national consumer advocacy organizations in recognizing National Consumer Protection Week through Saturday.

“An important part of our mission is to educate consumers about the latest scams so they can keep their money and personal information safe from fraudsters and identity thieves,” Carr said in a news release. “National Consumer Protection Week is a great time for consumers to study up on how to protect themselves and make the best choices in the marketplace.”

For National Consumer Protection Week, the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division teamed with the Better Business Bureau, AARP and the Federal Trade Commission for an expert panel discussion about scams, which will took place Tuesday.

The Consumer Protection Division (CPD) receives hundreds of consumer complaints a month about unlawful business practices and investigates those businesses that demonstrate a pattern or practice of bad behavior. In 2020 CPD helped more than 55,000 people and was responsible for obtaining more than $76 million for consumers and the state.

In addition, the office reached hundreds of thousands of individuals with its consumer education efforts, including live speaking engagements and webinars across the state, distribution of educational literature and two dedicated web sites:

Consumer.ga.gov — Consumers can file a complaint against a business, find information on a wide variety of consumer topics, and read the office’s latest press releases. The site also includes a page dedicated to COVID-19.

ConsumerEd.ga.gov — Helps consumers make wise decisions about their homes, cars, credit and finances, and responds to consumer questions via the bi-weekly “Ask Consumer Ed” blog. Consumers can subscribe to the blog by visiting ConsumerEd.ga.gov.

CPD also works proactively to provide comprehensive resources that help inform and educate all Georgia citizens, including publications like the “Georgia Consumer Protection Guide for Older Adults” and “Cybersecurity in Georgia: A Guide for Small Businesses, Non-Profits and Places of Worship,” which are available at consumer.ga.gov.

Finally, consumers can stay abreast of the latest news from the Attorney General’s Office by following the office on Twitter (@Georgia_AG) or visiting Facebook (facebook.com/GeorgiaAttorneyGeneral).

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