Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

Sometimes we receive strange calls. I recently asked the volunteers and staff in the office’s four Consumer Resource Centers about their most memorable consumer inquiries. They shared stories ranging from the silly to the bizarre and even grotesque.

Do you really know what you've agreed to when you post photos or chat with your friends on a social-networking site? The fine folks at SmartMoney.com took a magnifying glass to the fine print on the privacy policies of YouTube, Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Match.com, eHarmony and Google and found some results that may surprise you.

Do you really know what you've agreed to when you post photos or chat with your friends on a social-networking site? The fine folks at SmartMoney.com took a magnifying glass to the fine print on the privacy policies of YouTube, Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Match.com, eHarmony and Google and found some results that may surprise you.

Attorney General Rob McKenna and staff from our office and the Better Business Bureau will discuss the latest scams targeting consumers during the evening news Thursday on Spokane TV station KHQ. Two assistant attorneys generals, BBB staff and I will also be working the phones from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to answer questions from viewers. If you're in the area, be sure to tune in.

Attorney General Rob McKenna and staff from our office and the Better Business Bureau will discuss the latest scams targeting consumers during the evening news Thursday on Spokane TV station KHQ. Two assistant attorneys generals, BBB staff and I will also be working the phones from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to answer questions from viewers. If you're in the area, be sure to tune in.

The Department of Revenue has launched a new Web site, suspectfraud.com, as part of a campaign to help prevent consumer fraud and give people an easy way to check if a business is registered. The site includes links to report other types of fraud, too.

The Department of Revenue has launched a new Web site, suspectfraud.com, as part of a campaign to help prevent consumer fraud and give people an easy way to check if a business is registered. The site includes links to report other types of fraud, too.

When you turn up the thermostat or click on the lights, thank Simon ffitch. ffitch – whose unusual surname is often a subject of discussion – is chief of the Attorney General’s Public Counsel Section, a part of our office that represents residential and small business customers in utility rate cases. His job is to make sure you don’t pay more for electricity, natural gas or phone service than you should.

Seattle City Light is once again warning its customers to be on guard against telephone con artists posing as utility bill collectors who appear to be targeting customers with Asian surnames. In the past few days, several customers have reported phone calls from con artists claiming to be City Light employees.

The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division released its annual Top 20 list of consumer complaint categories today in conjunction with National Consumer Protection Week. Complaints about phone companies held pole position for the 12th consecutive year. That seems like a good reason to rerun last year's tips on choosing a wireless phone plan. We've also included a few links to resources that rate cell phones and plans.

The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division released its annual Top 20 list of consumer complaint categories today in conjunction with National Consumer Protection Week. Complaints about phone companies held pole position for the 12th consecutive year. That seems like a good reason to rerun last year's tips on choosing a wireless phone plan. We've also included a few links to resources that rate cell phones and plans.

Washington consumers filed 25,197 written complaints with the Attorney General’s Office in 2008 – the greatest number since 2002. The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division released its annual Top 20 list of consumer complaint categories today in conjunction with National Consumer Protection Week. Gripes about health care businesses and commercial banks moved into the top 10 and telecommunications maintained its stronghold as the industry to generate the most criticism. That seems like a good reason to re-post last year’s consumer protection week tip on how to select a wireless phone.

Washington consumers filed 25,197 written complaints with the Attorney General’s Office in 2008 – the greatest number since 2002. The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division released its annual Top 20 list of consumer complaint categories today in conjunction with National Consumer Protection Week. Gripes about health care businesses and commercial banks moved into the top 10 and telecommunications maintained its stronghold as the industry to generate the most criticism. That seems like a good reason to re-post last year’s consumer protection week tip on how to select a wireless phone.

Washington consumers filed 25,197 written complaints with the Attorney General’s Office in 2008 – the greatest number since 2002. The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division released its annual Top 20 list of consumer complaint categories today in conjunction with National Consumer Protection Week. Gripes about health care businesses and commercial banks moved into the top 10 and telecommunications maintained its stronghold as the industry to generate the most criticism. That seems like a good reason to re-post last year’s consumer protection week tip on how to select a wireless phone.

Washington consumers filed 25,197 written complaints with the Attorney General’s Office in 2008 – the greatest number since 2002. The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division released its annual Top 20 list of consumer complaint categories today in conjunction with National Consumer Protection Week. Gripes about health care businesses and commercial banks moved into the top 10 and telecommunications maintained its stronghold as the industry to generate the most criticism. That seems like a good reason to re-post last year’s consumer protection week tip on how to select a wireless phone.

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