Credit and charge card fraud costs cardholders and issuers hundreds of millions of dollars each year. While theft is the most obvious form of fraud, it can occur in other ways. For example, someone may use your card number without your knowledge. It’s not always possible to prevent credit or charge card fraud from happening. But there are a few steps you can take to make it more difficult for a crook to capture your card or card numbers and minimize the possibility...

At times we find ourselves in a difficult situation involving our bank, a large business, etc. and don’t know what to do. Calling customer service hasn’t led to any real results so you may be asking yourself what to do next?

Below you will find a number of institutions both governmental and private that specialize in helping you to file a complaint. These institutions are similar to leaving a review on Google or Yelp except they work resolve the issue. As such, they are not places for a person to rant and rave about how terrible the service at a restaurant was, but rather to help a person that was a victim of a shady business, or to get help when a financial institution (like a bank) has mistreated someone. They are not law enforcement agencies imposing a punishment onto these businesses, but rather helping to add authority to your complaint. If your issue cannot be solved after submitting a complaint through one or more of these resources, it is recommended to seek legal help from a private attorney.

Review the document below for links to the agencies that may be able to help if you submit a complaint. These agencies include: 

1. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

2. Help with my Bank

3. Federal Trade Commission Complaint

4. Idaho Attorney General Consumer Protection Complaint

5. Better Business Bureau Complaint

Consumer fraud is a serious problem in Idaho, but, fortunately, it is often a preventable problem. As a consumer, you can protect yourself from fraud by understanding your rights and by making informed and intelligent decisions. There are a variety of steps you can take to protect your credit.

(El fraude al consumidor es un problema muy serio en Idaho. Afortunadamente, esto es un problema que se puede prevenir en la mayoría de los casos. Como consumidor, usted se puede proteger del fraude conociendo sus derechos y tomando decisiones inteligentes y acertadas. Existen muchos pasos a seguir para proteger su crédito.)

Please review the Idaho Attorney General's Office Credit and Debt Manual for more information. Please note that this guide was created in 2005 so some information may no longer be accurate. 

For a general Consumer Protection Manual, please visit the Idaho Attorney General's Office website at: https://www.ag.idaho.gov/content/uploads/2018/04/ConsumerProtectionManual.pdf or https://www.ag.idaho.gov/content/uploads/2018/04/ConsumerProtectionManualSpanish.pdf (Spanish/Espanol). 

Ageing Safely has developed the following three forms to help with consumer law issues or issues dealing with money and debt: 

• Letter to a creditor to request debt forgiveness when a bill is owed
• Letter to a creditor to dispute a charge from a bank or company
• Letter to a credit bureau to dispute an item on a credit report

Please visit Ageing Safely's website for links to these interactive forms: https://agingsafely.us/free-forms/.