Consumer Protection
The Attorney General enforces state and federal consumer protection laws, keeping Virginians safe from things like identity theft, consumer fraud and telemarketing scams, and enforces antitrust laws that protect businesses and consumers from behavior that defeats healthy competition. The Attorney General also provides consumer alerts and educational materials that are designed to increase consumer awareness of scams, and help our citizens protect themselves. When there is a pattern of deception or other wrongdoing, the Attorney General is authorized to take action to stop the illegal conduct, and, where appropriate, seek refunds for affected consumers.
Individual complaints play an important role in notifying the Attorney General about possibly deceptive or otherwise illegal practices taking place in Virginia, which can lead to enforcement actions or legislative initiatives; however, the Attorney General’s office is not the central clearinghouse for consumer complaints in Virginia. The Virginia Office of Consumer Affairs (“OCA”), one of our client agencieswithin the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, serves this role.
The Attorney General encourages you to protect yourself by becoming educated about scams and fraud and learning about helpful resources and agencies to contact should you need assistance.
- Alerts (Coming Soon)
- Where to file a Complaint
- Scams and Information
- Publications and Forms