Common Consumer Scams and Frauds

In today’s society, there are many ways to be scammed or fraudulently conned out of money. From telephone scams targeting senior citizens to sophisticated phishing scams that even a computer-savvy millennial might fall for, consumers need to be ever-vigilant in keeping their sensitive information and bank accounts safe.

Consumer fraud is unfortunately very common across America, but luckily there are laws in place that can help you if you ever become a victim. If you have been financially or otherwise injured by fraud, call Markoff Leinberger at 888-517-9115 for a free consultation.

Telephone and Debt Collection Fraud

If you are the victim of unwanted telemarketing or debt collection calls, you are protected under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The TCPA lays out guidelines that telemarketers must follow, and if they violate these rules, you could be entitled to up to $1500 for each call, text, or fax that is in violation.

Debt collectors must also abide by certain rules and regulations. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act prohibits harassment by debt collectors, which could include:

  • Verbal abuse
  • Calling at inconvenient hours
  • Misrepresenting themselves as lawyers or police officers
  • Misrepresenting the amount of debt owed
  • Refusing to validate a debt upon request
  • Threatening to take actions they don’t plan to follow through with
  • Attempting to collect a non-existent debt or a debt that has passed the statute of limitations

If you have been harassed by a debt collector, call Markoff Leinberger for a free consultation. We have reached successful class action settlements in debt collection cases, and will be happy to take a look at your case.

Identity Theft Scams

Identity theft is unfortunately one of the top ways people are scammed in America. Companies are often not as careful as they should be in safeguarding consumer information, and data breaches occur regularly. Once a criminal has your information in hand, he can then turn your life and finances upside down through:

  • Fraudulently filing for your tax return, potentially getting you in trouble with the IRS
  • Making large purchases on your credit card
  • Taking out loans in your name
  • Ruining your credit score
  • Posing as you for employment or even for criminal charges

It is often very hard to catch the perpetrator behind an identity theft scam, but it can be quite possible to go after the company that let your data get stolen in the first place. Call us for a free consultation to see if you have grounds for a lawsuit to recover damages.

Bait and Switch Scams

Bait and switch scams occur when a business promises something but fails to deliver on its promise. These types of scams are common with retailers, as they will advertise a low price or low interest rate that they actually never planned to offer. The low price is just a lure to get a consumer in the door, after which they will be manipulated into buying something at a higher price.

Bait and switch scams are illegal, so if you think you have been the victim of one, don’t hesitate to contact us. Even if the amount of money you were scammed out of was negligible, if other consumers were similarly affected, there could be grounds for a class action lawsuit.

Schedule Your Consumer Fraud Consultation Today

If you have been a victim of one of these common consumer frauds, contact the experienced consumer law attorneys at Markoff Leinberger today by calling 888-517-9115. We offer complimentary consultations with no pressure or obligation.

We serve clients in Chicago and nationwide.

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