Lincoln -- Attorney General Peterson has long been concerned with protecting Nebraskans from costly scams and damaging consumer fraud. This week the Attorney General’s Office will be highlighting on social media the top issues facing Nebraskans in observance of National Consumer Protection Week.
In 2021, the Attorney General’s Office launched the Consumer Affairs Response Team (CART) to provide one-on-one support for Nebraskans facing frauds, scams, and unfair and deceptive business practices. Last year the CART team successfully responded to over 1,800 complaints from citizens. The top ten complaint categories for 2021 were: imposter scams, identity theft, auto related complaints, home repair, online shopping, healthcare, internet services, travel, banks and lenders, real estate, and telephone services.
The biggest complaint category for the CART team this last year was imposter scams, making up a quarter of all the complaints received. Imposter scams involve an individual pretending to be a government agency, business, or romantic partner in order to gain access to a victim’s data and finances. This can look like someone calling pretending to be the Medicare office, a large business asking for bank information to issue a refund, or an online partner requesting money for travel expenses to meet in person. The Attorney General’s Office will be sharing more information on imposter scams throughout the week on social media.
The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office recommends visiting www.protectthegoodlife.nebraska.gov, to learn more about imposter scams and other consumer issues impacting Nebraskans. Free information packets on senior fraud, identity theft, and other consumer issues are available on our website digitally. Additionally, a consumer protection kit can be ordered here.
