Attorney General's top 10 consumer complaints

W.A. Drew Edmondson, Attorney General

In conjunction with Oklahoma's fourth annual Consumer Protection Day at the Capitol, Attorney General Edmondson released the top ten list of consumer complaints received by his office's Consumer Protection Unit in 2007.

Internet-related complaints again topped the list, which is released annually by Edmondson in an effort to educate consumers about the types of scams faced by Oklahomans. This year's top ten list is as follows:

1. Internet- including auctions, service providers and retail sales
2. Credit- including credit cards, credit reporting agencies and collection agencies
3. Automobiles- including new and used purchasing, repairs and rentals
4. Health-related complaints- including medical and dental care and health care products
5. Home repair and construction- including roofing, windows and doors and tree trimming
6. Communications- including telephone and cable TV
7. Sales- including pets, animals, mail order, jewelry and toys
8. Non-professional services- including entertainment, cleaners, moving and storage
9. Lending and mortgage services- including banks, savings and loans and credit unions
10. Promotions- including sweepstakes, missing heir promotions and advertising agencies

"This list shows the variety of scams consumer face," Edmondson said. "It's important to be aware of the scams that are out there in order to avoid becoming a victim. We hope Oklahomans will be on the look out for these and other scams."

Consumer Protection Day at the Capitol is hosted each year by Edmondson and AARP Oklahoma and features more than a dozen agencies and advocacy groups dedicated to helping consumers fight fraud.

In addition to Edmondson's office and AARP Oklahoma, the following groups were on hand to educate Oklahomans about consumer protection resources: the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI, the Oklahoma Insurance Department, the Cyber Crimes Unit of the Tulsa Police Department, the U.S. Postal Service, the Village Police Department, the Commission on Consumer Credit, the Oklahoma Department of Health, the Stephens County Sheriff's Office, the Construction Industries Board, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Trade Commission and the Used Motor Vehicle and Parts Commission.

For the third consecutive year, Consumer Protection Day will also feature free document shredding provided by Shred-It, an Oklahoma City document shredding company.

"Identity theft has become one of the costliest crimes in the nation," said Todd Rose, General Manager of Shred-It Oklahoma. "With that in mind, Shred It has teamed up with the attorney general's office to wage a war against identity thieves and heighten the awareness of the general public on ways to reduce their chances of becoming a victim of identity theft and keep thieves from accessing their financial files and personal information."