Consumer Fraud Victims

San Diego Consumer Fraud Attorney

Credit Fraud victimizes hundreds of thousands of Americans every year. Laws exist to protect consumers from fraudulent practices. Take advantage of your rights contact us.

• Education
  Our site has been developed to educate consumers of the types of consumer fraud that occur on a daily basis and how to better identify and protect themselves from becoming another victim.
  
• Legal Resources
  Contact information has also been provided for anyone wishing to obtain legal resources from a consumer fraud lawyer. Our consumer fraud lawyers have much experience and a successful record prosecuting consumer fraud class actions.
  

In The News
Breaking News, September 2002
Washington Investigates Household Finance

The Washington Department of Financial Institutions performed an investigation on Household Finance because borrowers claim the company did not disclose the actual interest rate they had been charged. The report was leaked despite Household's desire to keep the information private, stating that complaints against the company had drastically risen in the first months of 2002. In less than six months, 15 official complaints had been made against Household that consisted mainly of claims that the company had misrepresented the rate of interest that the borrowers would be paying. Read entire article...
Credit Card Fraud

So far, there is no evidence that any criminals overseas that have committed credit card fraud have been prosecuted. These overseas credit card fraud stints have proven to have little penalty for the international credit card thieves because of the US law enforcement that has encountered difficulties with the laws on white-collar crimes in other countries, jurisdictional questions, the indifference of some governments, and the investigations of credit card fraud being a time consuming and expensive process.

Paying For Nonexistent Insurance, June 4, 2002
Considered one of the biggest insurance fraud scams within the last ten years by James Quiggle of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, more and more Americans are finding they have been sold nonexistent insurance plans. The insurance fraud plans are in operation in every state and leaves the victims with countless medical bills and debt. The insurance fraud is affecting more than individual patients, it also affects doctors and hospitals that are left in financial distress because state and federal authorities often do not discover that they are involved in a scam until it is too late.

Florida has been so badly affected by the insurance fraud the state has launched an ad campaign to warn people to check their insurance companies to make sure they are licensed. The fake insurance plans usually target the self-employed because they have the hardest time finding affordable health insurance, so the unlicensed companies can offer cheaper rates than the larger, well-known insurance companies. The insurance fraud victims do not find out they have been scammed until they need to use the insurance and then it is too late.
Credit Card Fraud Video

NBC's Dan Lothian reports how a California bank inadvertently gave customers' credit card information to the alleged mastermind of possibly the largest credit card fraud scams. Go to NBC Video Page...
Credit Card Company Profiting Off Gamblers,
June 15, 2002

Citibank, the nation's largest credit card issuer was warned by the New York Attorney General that they could face criminal prosecution for aiding in the promotion of online gambling that is illegal in many states, including New York. Other banks have already blocked online gambling transactions due to the borderline legal issues as well as the high number of customer disputes regarding gambling charges. Internet gambling operations are reportedly suffering because of the credit card company's warnings or penalties that have been issued according to The New York Times.
Consumer Fraud Class Actions
Washington Mutual

Large banks are involved in many types of consumer transactions, including credit cards, mortgages and personal loans. Often times, either through inadvertent mismanagement or an attempt to maximize profits, these banks cheat consumers. Examples of ways consumers are defrauded include overcharged late fees and the bank's failure to remit properly tax payments on mortgaged property for which the bank maintains a tax escrow account.
In the December 31, 2001 issue of Business Week, reports showed Washington Mutual was enjoying its incredible and growth after buying more than 20 businesses to gain more customers since 1990. Washington Mutual's expansion has made them the nation's seventh-largest bank, the number one home lender, and a manager of over 200,000 investment accounts, with assets growing 25-fold to an impressive $225 billion. Recently, there has been a series of allegations arising about Washington Mutual's unresolved business practices they have acquired after buying out business rivals. These suits have charged that late fees are too high or unjustified and agents of Washington Mutual's stock brokerage house routinely preys on elderly bank customers and convinces them to move their FDIC insured savings accounts into uninsured bond funds. While the company claims they have been successful at managing their integration challenges, allegations of misdeeds keep arising. :: ABOUT CONSUMER FRAUD

What is Consumer Fraud?
Consumer Fraud is inclusive of a large range of improper practices including any part of the advertising, the marketing, the selling, and the provision of services and/or goods. Contact us to speak with a consumer fraud lawyer if you think that you have been the victim of fraudulent activity.
There are credit scams that violate a state's deceptive practices statute, while still complying with federal and state credit statutes.
What is a Consumer Fraud Class Action?
A class action lawsuit occurs when one or more parties file a complaint on behalf of themselves and all other people who are similarly situated, or suffering from the same problem. This can include situations such as consumer fraud, including:

• credit card fraud
  
• insurance fraud
  
• credit fraud
  
• healthcare fraud
  
• health insurance fraud
  
• business fraud
  

Class actions are prosecuted on a contingent fee basis. Your consumer fraud attorneys advance all costs of the action, and attorney fees are paid from the recovery, or by the defendants. Speak With a Fraud Lawyer

We have provided contact information for those wishing to speak with a fraud lawyer. Our fraud lawyers have been very successful in representing and handling clients who have been the victims of consumer fraud.

General Tips To Avoid Consumer Fraud

• Claims that appear too good to be true are probably just that. Any proposal regarding earnings and performance potentials should be put into writing and be carefully reviewed prior to signing any type of contract.
  
• A privacy policy should be present, if there is not one or one that is incomprehensible it may not be a worthwhile business opportunity.
  
• Check with a consumer protection office or state attorney general before moving forward with a company. If general information including the company's name, address, and telephone number is not readily available it may indicate a fraudulent situation.
  
• Just because a Web site has a professional appearance does not mean they are a reputable company. The government put out a professional, fictitious business online to teach consumers of the dangers of online consumer fraud.
  

Auto Fraud Becoming A Trend,
June 20, 2002
A recent California case found seven former senior managers at one of the largest Chevy dealerships in the U.S. guilty of defrauding their customers. Dealerships have been charging customers for add-ons that the customer was not aware they were buying or had specifically stated they did not want. The auto fraud has included dealerships charging for loans rates, extended warranties, and theft-protection plans. The fraudulent practices have been identified as "packing payments", meaning the dealership adds on extra costs to monthly car payments without the customer's awareness. Another fraudulent dealership practice being used is deceptive practices in service contract sales.

The recent investigations involving auto fraud have attributed the growing number of fraudulent dealership practices to the pressures to keep high profits. Consumers need to continue to be aware of exactly what they are buying and what their contracts contain to help avoid instances of "packing" and other fraudulent methods. Customers unaware of what things should cost and if they are able to buy things for less can end up becoming preyed on.
If you have been the victim of fradulent practices please contact us.
Warning Signs of Predatory Lending

• Although these warning signs do not positively mean that you have been a victim or predatory lending it can be a good indicator that you are being misled. Contact us to confer with a fraud lawyer.
• If you have refinanced your loan multiple times and increased your monthly payment and/or total amount you owe each time.

The amount the monthly payments on the loan are higher than you were expecting following the settlement from what you thought from the initial disclosures.

Costs appear at the settlement that had not previously explained they would be present before settling.

You need another loan to finance the final lump sum amount of your balloon loan.

If signing forms the lender altered your information or asked you to leave signature lines blank.

The lender encourage false information be put on the loan application.

• Your documents show that your interest rate calculation will change and require you to pay a daily interest when you have late payments.
  
• Certain information is missing in your loan file like a good faith estimate, truth in lending, special information booklet, and HUD-1 settlement statement.
  
• You had to buy credit insurance.
  
• Your loan amount on the loan you have chosen is higher than the value of your home.