News / Alerts

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 - Attorney General Carr today called on Twitter, eBay, and Shopify to help state attorneys general prevent people from selling fraudulent CDC vaccination cards on their platforms. A bipartisan coalition of 45 attorneys general raised concerns about the public health risks of these fake cards in a letter to the companies’ CEOs.

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.

ATLANTA, GA – The storms and tornadoes that passed through Georgia have put a number of residents in the position of having to repair and rebuild homes that were damaged. Unfortunately, there are home repair scammers out there who will try to exploit this disaster by asking for up-front payments for home repair services and then disappear without ever doing the work. In other cases, scammers may charge exorbitant prices, charge for unnecessary repairs or do sub-standard work.

ATLANTA,GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today announced a multistate settlement with Boston Scientific Corporation (Boston) to resolve allegations of deceptive marketing of its surgical mesh products for women. The settlement requires Boston to pay $188.6 million to 47 states and the District of Columbia to resolve allegations that it deceptively marketed transvaginal surgical mesh devices to patients. Georgia’s share of the settlement is $5,004,093.

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr is warning Georgians about a scam involving door-to-door sales of pine straw or mulch. Consumers have complained about disreputable landscapers coming to their door, claiming to have left-over pine straw or mulch from a previous job and offering it to the consumer at a heavily discounted rate. After the consumer agrees to the recommended number of bales, the scammer lays down fewer bales than agreed upon and then tells the consumer he will need to lay down an additional number of bales to cover the yard at a cost of hundreds of dollars more. If the consumer refuses, the scammer tries to intimidate the consumer. Sometimes consumers give in to these scare tactics just to get the scammer to leave.

Many Georgians are starting to think about summer travel plans. While some will opt for traditional hotel stays, many will look online in hopes of finding less expensive or more unique accommodations. Unfortunately, ads for online vacation rentals are not always what they seem. Our office is encouraging Georgians to exercise caution if choosing to book accommodations from an online platform.

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that Georgia, as part of a coalition of 41 Attorneys General, has settled with Retrieval-Masters Creditors Bureau d/b/a American Medical Collection Agency (“AMCA”) resolving a multistate investigation into the 2019 data breach that exposed the personal information of over 7 million individuals, including 306,826 Georgia residents, and potentially exposed the personal information of up to 21 million individuals throughout the United States.