7am News, Sports and Obits
Latest WGIL news
Click to play or
Right click and "Save Target As" to download
Click for Galesburg, Illinois Forecast
Home - Cancellations - Community Events - Contact Us - Mornings - News - Obituaries - Pictures - Programs - Special Events Audio - Sports - Weather
Madigan Issues "Top Ten" List
There's a new "Top Ten" list out and it doesn't have Attorney General Lisa Madigan laughing.

The intensifying home foreclosure crisis dominated Madigan's Top 10 Consumer Complaints for 2009.

According to Madigan's office, 31,264 consumers filed complaints with her Consumer Protection Division last year. The consumer debt category topped the complaints filed by Illinois consumers, including a 65 percent increase in residential mortgage-related complaints. In addition, an estimated 21,000 consumers have called the Attorney General's Homeowner Helpline for assistance since 2008, while the Attorney General's Consumer Fraud Bureau helped secure an estimated $23 million in mortgage-related savings, including loan modifications for at-risk borrowers, last year.

"These numbers demonstrate how this economic crisis is hitting home for tens of thousands of Illinois families," Madigan said. "Hardworking people are struggling to make their mortgage payments on time. They're fighting to cope with mounting debts, and they're being targeted by con artists looking to make a quick buck. This is a challenging time, and I urge anyone who is struggling to make ends meet to contact my office to make sure that they do not become victims of fraud."

For information on all consumer issues, consumers can visit Madigan's Web site at www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers or call one of the Consumer Fraud Hotlines or the Identity Theft Hotline at the numbers listed below.

* Chicago Consumer Fraud Hotline: 1-800-386-5438
* Springfield Consumer Fraud Hotline: 1-800-243-0618
* Carbondale Consumer Fraud Hotline: 1-800-243-0607
* Spanish Language Hotline: 1-866-310-8398
* Identity Theft Hotline: 1-866-999-5630
* Homeowner Helpline: 1-866-544-7151

The Top Ten List:

1. Consumer Debt (mortgage lending, collections, credit cards): 7,843
2. Identity Theft (fraudulent credit cards and utility accounts, bank fraud): 4,376
3. Construction Home Improvement (remodeling, roofs/gutters): 2,601
4. Telecommunications (wireless service, local phone service, cable/satellite): 2,240
5 Promotions and Schemes (sweepstakes, pyramid, work-at-home schemes): 1,689
6. Motor Vehicles/Used Auto Sales (as-is sales, financing, warranties): 1,372
7. Mail Order (Internet purchases, catalog ordering, television/radio): 1,364
8. Fraud Against Business (consulting, directories/publications): 1,135
9. Utilities (natural gas, electric, water/sewer): 843
10. Motor Vehicle/Non-Warranty Repair (collision/body, engines, tune ups)

(Illinois Radio Network)
02 22 10 by Newsroom
News management powered by Xpression News

Click here for the WGIL News Archive

Click here for national news

The following provision applies to all visitors (which shall include persons and representatives of legal entities, whether such representatives are persons or digital engines of a kind that crawls, indexes, scrapes, copies, stores or transmits digital content). By accessing this Web site or digital service, you specifically acknowledge and agree that: (i) Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium; (ii) No Associated Press materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use; (iii) The Associated Press will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing; (iv) The Associated Press is an intended third party beneficiary of these terms and conditions and it may exercise all rights and remedies available to it; and (v) The Associated Press reserves the right to audit possible unauthorized commercial use of AP materials or any portion thereof at any time.