News / Alerts

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr, today released an update on telecom companies’ progress in implementing the Anti-Robocall Principles he signed onto in 2019. Since September 2019, companies that agreed to these Principles have identified more than 52 billion spam or spoofed numbers calls, authenticated the caller ID numbers of hundreds of billions of calls, and blocked more than 32.5 billion spam, spoofed, or illegal calls. There is more work to do, however. Already this year, 391,453 Americans have filed reports with the FTC about robocalls, reporting totals of at least $356 million in losses. These numbers underscore the need to continue to fight back against the scourge of robocalls.

In a new twist on the grandparent scam, the scammers say they will send someone to the person’s house to pick up the money that their grandchild urgently needs. Once the victim pays the money to the courier (often an unwitting Uber or Lyft driver), there’s virtually no way to get it back. 

Attorney General Chris Carr is cautioning Georgians who are planning a move to look out for fake change-of-address websites. Always make sure you are going to the legitimate U.S. Postal Service (USPS) website when you are requesting a change-of-address – either USPS.com or USPS.com/move.

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today filed a joint enforcement action against Superior Healthcare, LLC, Regenerative Medicine Institute of America, LLC d/b/a Stem Cell Institute of America, LLC, Physicians Business Solutions, LLC, Steven Peyroux, and Brent Detelich for allegedly violating the Georgia Fair Business Practices Act (FBPA) and the FTC Act by making false and misleading claims about the regenerative medicine products they offered to consumers in Georgia.

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today announced a $19.8 million settlement with Turtle Creek Assets, Ltd. and its owner, Gordon Engle, (collectively “Turtle Creek”), resolving allegations that the company committed multiple violations of the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Georgia Fair Business Practices Act.

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today announced Georgia’s top consumer complaints for 2020. This announcement follows the release of the latest report from the annual survey of state and local consumer agencies conducted by Consumer Federation of America (CFA).

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr is warning consumers about a new take on the classic pyramid scheme. Pyramid schemes are illegal multilevel marketing programs that promise consumers or investors large profits based primarily on recruiting others to join their program, not based on profits from any real investment or real sale of goods to the public. They may require you to buy products before you are eligible to be paid or receive bonuses, and you may need to pay fees for things like training sessions or expensive marketing materials. Plus, you can pretty much count on the fact that the only people making money are the scammers who are running it.

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that Burlington Financial Group, LLC, Katherine Burnham, Sang Yi, and Richard Burnham (Burlington) have entered into a consent judgment with the State of Georgia and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to resolve allegations that they violated the Telemarketing Sales Rule, the Fair Business Practices Act (FBPA), and the Debt Adjustment Act in connection with the marketing, sale, and provision of debt relief and credit repair services.

ATLANTA, GA – The Office of the Attorney General is recognizing World Elder Abuse Awareness Day by encouraging all Georgians to learn the signs and how to report instances of abuse.

“According to the National Council on Aging, up to five million older Americans are abused every year, and the annual loss by victims of financial abuse is estimated to be at least $36.5 billion,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “Sadly, the perpetrators of abuse are often family members or trusted caregivers. We can all play a role in protecting those most vulnerable, and so on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day our office is encouraging Georgians to learn how to spot the signs of elder abuse and know where to report it.”

ATLANTA, GA – On May 10, 2021, Governor Brian P. Kemp declared a  State of Emergency as a result of the petroleum shortage from the May 7, 2021 cyber-attack on the Colonial Pipeline. The State of Emergency will remain in effect through 11:59 p.m. on May 15, 2021. When Gov. Kemp declared this State of Emergency, Georgia’s price gouging statutes were activated. This means that while the State of Emergency remains in effect, businesses may not charge more for products and services identified by the Governor, including motor fuel and diesel fuel, than they charged before the declaration of the state of emergency, unless the increased prices accurately reflect an increase in the cost of new stock or the cost to transport it, plus the retailer's average markup percentage applied during the ten days immediately prior to the declaration of the state of emergency. Under the Price Gouging Statutes, the Department of Law’s Consumer Protection Division (CPD) receives and evaluates reports related to a rise in the costs of goods and services after the declaration is made. 

ATLANTA, GA – In recognition of Older Americans Month, Attorney General Chris Carr is encouraging older consumers to protect themselves from fraudsters by becoming familiar with common scams and scam tactics. 

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr is warning the public about a scam where con artists pose as government officials in an attempt to add credibility to their schemes. Specifically, we are aware that a robocall is making the rounds saying the Attorney General’s office is calling about “your case” and instructing the recipient to press “1” to avoid negative consequences.

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr is warning Georgia consumers that a number of sellers of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids are making deceptive and misleading claims about the safety and effectiveness of their products.

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr and the Georgia Department of Health are again warning Georgians that scammers have been trying to exploit the vaccine rollout by calling, texting or emailing consumers asking for payment for the promise of getting the vaccine, scheduling an appointment or getting on the waiting list. 

ATLANTA, GA – In honor of Financial Literacy Month in Georgia, Attorney General Chris Carr is encouraging Georgians to take advantage of the educational resources available through the Office of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.