In 2015, federal authorities received at least 3 million complaints from consumers regarding allegedly illegal business practices, according to a recent announcement from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This represents a nearly 17 percent increase from the number of consumer complaints filed with the FTC in 2014, when roughly 2.5 million consumers filed complaints with federal authorities.
According to officials, the majority of the complaints filed in 2015 were related to claims of:
Commenting on this surge in consumer complaints – and the FTC’s actions to address them, Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, has stated:
We recognize that identity theft and unlawful debt collection practices continue to cause significant harm to many consumers… Steps like the recent upgrade to IdentityTheft.gov and our leadership of a nationwide initiative to combat unlawful debt collection practices are critical to our ongoing work to protect consumers from these harms.
Explaining the significant increase in FTC consumer complaints in 2015, authorities have been quick to point out that this hike may not necessarily be due to the fact that more businesses are reverting to poor, illegal and/or unethical practices. Instead, officials have pointed out that the increase is more likely due to the facts that:
In addition to filing complaints regarding abusive debt collection practices, identity theft, and imposter scams, consumers also filed a substantial number of complaints related to the following issues/industries, rounding out the top 10 spots for FTC consumer complaints in 2015:
If you have been the target of any illegal business practices, contact a Los Angeles consumer attorney at the Azadian Law Group, PC for a free case to review to find out more about your options for recovery and justice.
At the Azadian Law Group, PC, our lawyers exclusively represent consumers and employees– we never represent companies or employers. This has endowed our attorneys with the experience, knowledge, insight and resources necessary to effectively represent our clients in any legal setting and bring their cases to favorable resolutions.
Call us at 626-449-4944 or send us an email via this contact form to find out more about how we can help you. If you choose to move forward with us, you will not have to pay us any legal fees until or unless compensation is secured for your case.