If you have suffered a personal or financial loss because of unfair, deceptive, or deceitful business practices, you are a victim of consumer fraud. In 2019, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) stated that there were 3.2 million reports of consumer complaints overall, an increase of three percent from 2018: 1.7 million of those were related to consumer fraud.
Moreover, from January 1, 2020 to April 15, 2020, the FTC received the 18,235 reports related to COVID-19, and people reported losing $13.44 million dollars to fraud. It’s never been more important to be vigilant. And it’s never been more important, if you have been a victim of consumer fraud, to have the experience of a skilled consumer protection lawyer on your side. Our experience in consumer fraud class action suits helps ensure the best possible compensation for our clients.
Aggressive representation for victims of a wide range of consumer fraud practices
Cases of consumer fraud constitute violations of both state and federal laws. Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act prohibits unfair practices, including those which:
- Cause or are likely to cause substantial injury to consumers
- Cannot be reasonably avoided by consumers
- Are not outweighed by countervailing benefits to consumers or to competition
It also prohibits deceptive practices, which are defined as:
- A representation, omission, or practice that misleads or is likely to mislead the consumer
- A consumer’s interpretation of the representation, omission, or practice is considered reasonable under the circumstances
- The misleading representation, omission, or practice is material (any representation, omission, rep representation, omission, act, or practice is material if it is likely to affect a consumer’s choice or decision about a product or service)
Consumer fraud cases we typically help our clients with include:
- False or misleading advertising: Including bait-and-switch practices.
- Deceptive labeling: Anything from misrepresenting the quality of an ingredient to deceptive health claims.
- Failure to disclose material information in business transactions: For example, withholding significant information prior to completing a sale.
- Deceptive product or service warranties: A seller or manufacturer cannot offer a warranty on parts that don’t exist or when there is no intention to honor the warranty.
- Bank or financial institution fraud: May include insider abuse or banks/financial institutions knowingly processing fraudulent transactions, among other types of fraud.
- Insurance fraud: Scams include stealing premiums, selling phony insurance, and selling additional coverage that already exists in your policy.
- Mortgage and loan fraud: Including predatory lending activities as well as foreclosure and mortgage reduction scams.
- Disguised or deceptive overcharges: These may include “surcharges” or added fees that were not originally disclosed.
- Hidden contract fees: Once again, fees that should have been disclosed from the beginning and not after the fact.
- Fraudulent business, franchise, and travel offers: Most often, these include paying an up-front fee for an offer that doesn’t materialize.
- Investor and securities fraud: Including questionable advice or broker misconduct, and security law violations.
- Automobile sales fraud: Including falsely representing a used vehicle as “new,” falsely claiming a vehicle has options that are not included/it doesn’t have, rolling back the odometer, “yo-yo financing,” and undervaluing/underpaying for a trade-in, among others.
How we help get you maximum compensation for your consumer fraud claim
When the line is crossed and you suffer harm as the result of consumer fraud, we will file a lawsuit on your behalf, individually or in a class action, to ensure that the perpetrator of the fraud is held liable for their actions. Depending on the case, we may file the action in state or federal court for laws including but not limited to:
- Unfair or deceptive practices
- Truth in advertising/false advertising
- Truth in lending/deceptive lending practices
- Product labeling/misleading or deceptive labeling
Put our experience in consumer fraud lawsuits to work for you
For more than 40 years, our lawyers and staff have helped consumers across the U.S. get justice for the harm caused by fraudulent, deceptive, and misleading practices. To discuss your case with one of our skilled lawyers, please call us at 610.477.8380 or contact us at leads@shublawyers.com. We are fully operational during the coronavirus crisis.
