During National Consumer Protection Week — March 2 through March 6 — Attorney General Dave Sunday is highlighting efforts from his office over the past year to protect, assist, and inform consumers across the Commonwealth.
“One of the core functions of the Office of Attorney General is to protect Pennsylvania consumers. During National Consumer Protection Week, I want all Pennsylvanians to understand the resources available to empower them as buyers, or if they believe they may be a victim of fraud or other deceptive practices,” Attorney General Dave Sunday said. “Last year, our office helped consumers save and recover millions of dollars, and we will continue on that path in the months ahead.”
If you believe you were harmed by a business, you can file a complaint with the Bureau of Consumer Protection in a variety of ways:
- Online here: https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint/consumer-complaint/
- By calling the hotline: 1-800-441-2555
- By emailing: scams@attorneygeneral.gov
Attorney General Sunday highlighted a few of the consumer protection actions taken in the past year:
- The Office of Attorney General obtained $6.6 million in a settlement with Mercedes-Benz over allegations that Mercedes-Benz USA did not comply with state laws on emissions testing. More than 39,000 vehicles were impacted and had not yet been repaired or removed from the roads as of 2021. As part of the settlement, impacted consumers will receive an extended warranty and $2,000 per impacted vehicle.
- More than 43,000 patients impacted by the closure of Crozer Health System hospitals in Pennsylvania have free access to their medical records after the Office secured an agreement with Prospect Medical Holdings.
- The Office of Attorney General reached a settlement with Kia and Hyundai over sales of millions of vehicles nationwide that lacked industry-standard anti-theft technology. This settlement provided up to $4.5 million in restitution for eligible consumers, impacted consumers could obtain free zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protectors, as well as Kia and Hyundai will equip all future vehicles sold in the United States with industry-standard anti-theft technology.
- A $1.55 million settlement was reached between the Office and Dollar General after the Office found that on numerous occasions, consumers were charged higher prices than posted when they checked out. As part of this settlement, Dollar General faces more audits and is required to have additional staffing to ensure pricing accuracy.
- Attorney General Sunday led a coalition of 42 Attorneys General nationwide to call for stronger protections for those using chatbots (such as ChatGPT, Grok, or Replika) following several suicides of young teens and the death of several other people following their use of artificial intelligence chatbots.
- Robocalls are a nuisance and the Office continues to crack down on illegal robocallers through a national “Operation Robocall Roundup” initiative. This nationwide effort continues to work to cut down illegal robocalls being distributed to consumers throughout the United States.
- Attorney General Sunday reached a settlement with Home365, a Las Vegas-based property management company over their alleged failure to address Pennsylvania tenants’ maintenance needs in a timely manner. Home365 used an artificial intelligence-based platform to assist with business operations. Impacted consumers received refunds ranging from $375 to $10,450.
- The Office launched an Elder Exploitation Section – within its Criminal Division – to expand protections for older Pennsylvanians with a focus on preventing financial exploitation, deception, and theft from older residents.
- Throughout the year, Attorney General Sunday and his office have put out several warnings on scams as the Office becomes aware of these scams. Some scam warnings include; warning consumers of government imposter scams (this year consumers saw messages alleging to be from sheriffs, from PennDOT, and from the municipal court), major event ticket scams such as the Phillies going to the Playoffs, Bitcoin ATM scams, shopping for pet scams, Medicare durable equipment being ordered without requesting, health insurance enrollment scams, and holiday shopping scams.
- Our Office of Public Engagement works to prevent Pennsylvanians from being scammed. The Office’s Public Engagement Specialists participated in over 1300 presentations to more than 125,000 residents in all 67 Pennsylvania counties. These presentations included avoiding scams, veteran fraud and identity theft, funeral and bereavement scams, romance scams, the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, and protecting yourself online – along with other presentations. Interested parties can book a presentation online.
