Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

YAKIMA – Attorney General Rob McKenna today warned consumers that a software salesman for Brainstorm USA has contacted Spanish-speaking parents in the Yakima School District, fraudulently claiming to be associated with the district.
OLYMPIA — Attorney General Rob McKenna announced today that the state of Washington received $1.1 million from a $55.4 million national settlement reached with House of Prince A/S and Scandinavian Tobacco, S.I.A. to resolve a dispute over enforcement of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), under which tobacco companies reimburse the states for the health care costs of tobacco-related diseases.
SEATTLE – Attorney General Rob McKenna today warned consumers that a scam letter bearing the Mega Millions logo is being sent out to individuals in several states via standard mail. This letter notifies supposed winners of their unclaimed "Mega Millions" prize and also contains a counterfeit check.
Attorney General Rob McKenna announced today that SONY BMG Music Entertainment has agreed to pay $316,000 to the state of Washington and nearly $4 million to 39 other states as part of a settlement. The company also agreed to provide refunds of up to $175 per individual consumer to resolve problems that arose when SONY BMG caused anti-copying software to be surreptitiously downloaded onto consumers’ computers by the simple act of playing a SONY BMG music CD.
OLYMPIA – Attorney General Rob McKenna today unveiled his 2007 package of open government legislation, which includes three bills reforming the Public Records Act and a joint-request bill with Governor Chris Gregoire requiring government agencies to provide actual notice to property owners when the agency is considering condemning private property.
 OLYMPIA – Attorney General Rob McKenna today urged homeowners to check out contractors they hire to help repair their storm-damaged homes and remove fallen trees. A quick fix may end up costing homeowners much more than the job is worth – especially if the repairs aren’t done properly and they have to pay even more to hire another contractor.
SEATTLE – Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced a multi-state settlement in a lawsuit against YP Corp. and its subsidiary, Telco Billing, Inc. The businesses will pay more than $2 million to resolve allegations they deceptively marketed phone listings and advertisements on internet yellow pages. The money includes reimbursements for businesses and organizations in Washington and 33 other states that paid for online advertisements they did not want.
OLYMPIA – Attorney General Rob McKenna said Washington residents whose personal information was stored on a stolen Boeing laptop computer should take precautions to protect themselves against identity theft.
SEATTLE – Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced a $14.5 million settlement with Chase Bank and Trilegiant Corp. that resolves allegations the companies unlawfully deceived consumers into paying for memberships for programs that purportedly provided discounts for certain goods and services. The money will be shared by 15 states. Approximately 3,000 Washington consumers may be eligible for refunds.
SEATTLE – Attorney General Rob McKenna and the Washington State Bar Association are sponsoring a one-day conference to help businesses meet the challenge of safeguarding consumer information in the age of data breaches and identity theft. Learn from front-line experts about how to prevent and respond to information security breaches.

Topic: