Many Illinois and Indiana residents are likely to give little, if any, thought about consumer protection. After all, most of us enter various markets with the expectation that our identities and finances will be protected from scammers, thieves and those who use deceptive trade practices and misleading advertising. Although a lot of people have become familiar with identity theft, there are many other types of consumer fraud.
One type of consumer fraud is mortgage fraud. This type of fraud involves companies offering to help distressed homeowners. Mortgage fraud can occur in any number of ways, but it often involves a material misrepresentation in order to obtain more money than is warranted. When scammers approach distressed homeowners with offers that seem too good to be true, they may be putting their own reputation and finances on the line.
Another type of consumer fraud involves fake charities. Here, scammers and con artists create fake charities and then solicit donations that are used for their personal gain. This can leave consumers feeling cheated, and rightfully so. The Federal Trade Commission suggests that those who are considering donating to a charity thoroughly analyze the organization before donating to it.
Fortunately for consumers, there are a number of enacted laws that seek to protect them from unfair business practices. While some of those practices may be an outright scam, like those discussed above, other times more legitimate companies fail to adhere to these laws, especially when they engage in debt collection.
Those who feel like they have been treated unfairly, taken advantage of or harassed by a company they do business with should consider discussing the matter with an attorney of their choosing. If they decide to pursue a lawsuit against one of these companies and succeed, then compensation may be recoverable.