An official website of the WA State Office of the Attorney General. Here's how you know. 

Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Nick Brown

AG Cracks Down on Sweepstakes Companies

SEATTLE- April 20, 1999 -- Attorney General Christine Gregoire today announced lawsuits have been filed against three of the nation's sweepstakes promoters who allegedly use deceptive marketing tactics to convince people, especially the elderly, they are about to become millionaires.

"These companies have become masters at creating a web of deception," said Gregoire. "The headlines, the words, everything about these mailers are calculated to get people to buy products they wouldn't otherwise buy."

Attorney General, AARP and RSVP Seek Olympia Fraud Fighters

OLYMPIA -- The Attorney General's Office, AARP and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) today said they are seeking new Fraud Fighters in Olympia to combat fraud against senior citizens.

Nearly 200 local seniors determined not to become victims of fraud joined a statewide effort today designed to fight back against consumer fraud.

The volunteers' mission will be to educate hundreds of other senior citizens in the Olympia area on how to avoid becoming victims of fraud.

State and Feds Settle Case Against Wade Cook Financial

SEATTLE - Oct. 5, 2000 - Two Seattle-area companies that allegedly sold "get rich quick" investment advice not backed up by results will discontinue deceptive practices and pay millions of dollars back to consumers. Those terms were agreed to by Wade Cook Financial Corporation and Wade Cook Seminars Inc., in consent decrees signed with Washington state and the Federal Trade Commission.

Final Sweepstakes Case Closed: Industry Has Changed Its Ways

Seattle - March 8, 2001- A nearly two-year state effort to reform the nation's sweepstakes industry concluded today with a settlement that will require the Reader's Digest Association to pay approximately $200,000 in restitution to Washington consumers.

The settlement by the District of Columbia and 32 states-including Washington-also will require Reader's Digest to make dramatic changes in the way it uses sweepstakes promotions as a sales tool.

The changes already are in place for other major sweepstakes companies that settled with the states last year.

Communications Industry Again Tops AG Consumer Complaint List

Olympia -- For the third year in a row, the communications industry, which includes telecommunications and on-line services, accounted for the most complaints received by the Attorney General's office last year.

"Once again, growth in the communications industry was a double-edged sword for consumers in the year 2000," said Attorney General Christine Gregoire. "Rapidly expanding Internet services and red hot competition in the local and long-distance telephone industry have created both amazing opportunities and unrivaled problems for consumers."

Negligent Driving Citations Filed in Van Crash

SEATTLE -Jan. 18, 2002 - The Attorney General's Office today issued negligent driving citations against the drivers of two vans that crashed south of Spokane last February, killing two members of a touring Chinese dance troupe and injuring 23 others.

The decision followed a lengthy review in which state attorneys considered whether to file felony vehicular homicide and vehicular assault charges.

Subscribe to