News/Events

LITTLE ROCK – Spring is in full swing, but the warmer temperatures often bring scammers who try to sell products door-to-door. The Attorney General’s office regularly receives complaints each year about door-to-door salespeople using scare tactics and violations of the Home Solicitations Sales Act to sell home alarm systems.

“The Arkansas Home Solicitations Sales Act provides important protections for consumers,” said Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. “High pressure sales tactics, misrepresentations of products and failure to provide a copy of the contract are just some of the common illegal practices utilized by door-to-door salespeople. My office is here to educate Arkansans about their rights and to fight for consumers when a business violates the law.”

Attorney General Rutledge provided the below tips for consumers to help spot an unscrupulous door-to-door salesperson:

• Consumers have a right to review the contract outside the presence of the sales agent and cancel the contract without obligation within three days of the home solicitation sale. The sales agent must provide the consumer written notice of this right to cancel along with the proposed contract.
• High-pressure tactics are rarely employed by companies whose business depends on providing quality customer service. A legitimate company will allow consumers to weigh options and will review with the consumer the details of the sale and features of the product or service.
• The solicitor may suggest that an existing service or product needs an “upgrade,” when the salesperson actually represents a different company. This may lead a homeowner to believe the service or product must be “upgraded” to remain reliable.
• Be wary of home solicitations involving “free installation.” Homeowners may think it is a bargain, but many “free installation” offers are coupled with long-term, high-cost service contracts or other hidden costs. In the long run, the “free” offer may be the most expensive of all.

Arkansans who may have been victimized by deceptive home solicitation sales practices are encouraged to contact the Attorney General’s office.

LITTLE ROCK – With tax season deadline looming, scammers continue to adapt when seeking ways to instill fear and intimidate Arkansans. The Arkansas Attorney General’s office has received reports of a scam being sent through the mail which appears to be a letter from the so-called “Bureau of Tax Enforcement for Pulaski County”—an entity that does NOT exist—claiming the recipient owes money to another state.

“Scammers are determined to steal your hard-earned money and will go to great lengths to intimidate Arkansans,” said Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. “The Bureau of Tax Enforcement for Pulaski County is a fake, unlawful organization and these letters often to do not provide a return address, only a phone number.”

Attorney General Rutledge released the following tips to use if Arkansans have received a similar letter:

• Contact the local tax office to make sure you have no outstanding bills.
• Do not verify sensitive information such as social security number and banking information; verifying that information could lead to identity theft.
• File a police report with your local law enforcement.
• If consumers have questions, then contact the Attorney General’s office.

The scam letter may also request that the recipient purchase gift cards or prepaid debit cards to pay off the “debt.” The scammer will ask for the code on the purchased card, which gives them complete access to money on the card. In most cases, once the prepaid card money is depleted, it cannot be recovered.

Elderly Arkansans are often a target of con artists, and one of the most convincing ones is called the favorite grandchild scam. This scam involves a scammer calling an elderly individual, saying they are his/her favorite grandchild and are in trouble and need money wired immediately. Grandparents are often willing to do whatever it takes to help their grandchild, and so they more commonly fall for the scam.

“Under no circumstances should you wire money or give a credit/debit card number to a caller claiming to be a grandchild in jail unless you have verified that information with another close family member,” said Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. “The caller tricks Arkansans into saying the names of family and then pretends to be that family member in dire need of money.”

Attorney General Rutledge recommends the following strategies to avoid falling victim to the “favorite grandchild” scheme:

• Resist pressure to act quickly.
• Never give or wire money based on any unsolicited phone call.
• Verify the family member’s location by directly calling another family member or the grandchild.
• Do not send money to an unknown account or entity.
• Ask the caller for his or her name, and if they cannot provide it, hang up immediately.
• Have a plan in place when family members are traveling to easily identify whether or not a need is genuine.

In conjunction with National Consumer Protection Week, March 3-9, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge today announced the top 10 most common complaints the Attorney General’s office received in 2018.

National Consumer Protection Week is a partnership with attorneys general from across the country, along with many national organizations, including the Better Business Bureau, Federal Trade Commission and AARP, to encourage consumers to understand their rights and make educated consumer decisions.

“At the Attorney General’s Office, we take every complaint seriously and will work diligently to protect Arkansans and hold bad actors accountable,” said Attorney General Rutledge.

The 10 most common complaint categories from 2018 were:

• Automobile sales, service financing and repair
• Sales of goods and services
• Health care
• Home repair, construction and maintenance
• Landlord/tenant and real estate
• Satellite, cable and internet service providers
• Wireless and landline telephone services
• Scams and opportunities
• Credit repairs and other financial services
• Utilities

After falling to the number two most received complaint in 2017, automobile-related transactions returned to the most common type of complaint reports to the Attorney General’s office in 2018. Last year, automobile sales, service financing and repairs brought in 1,200 complaints. These types of complaints often involve consumers reporting financing errors; high-pressure tactics to buy add-on services at the time of purchase, such as gap insurance, extended warranties; and sales misrepresentations.

As springtime nears, the threat of severe weather increases. There are steps Arkansans can take to be better prepared heading into a potentially dangerous season, which often brings large amounts of rain, floods, severe storms and tornadoes.

“We often talk about what to do following a natural disaster, but there are steps Arkansans can take ahead of time to prepare for a potential disaster,” said Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. “I urge Arkansans to take time to protect your finances and property in advance of the stormy season. These preparations prevent harm to families, promote financial security, and prevent loss of items that may become lost or damaged.”

Attorney General Rutledge released the following tips on how to prepare for potential storms:

• Create an emergency plan to share with friends, family and neighbors.
• Heed severe weather warnings. Once a warning is issued, go to a safe place.
• Secure personal belongings. It is a good idea to always keep an updated record of the descriptions and serial numbers of electronics and other valuables in case they need to be tracked down, replaced or reported to the insurance company after a disaster strikes.
• Review insurance policies and consult with a qualified agent or broker to assess insurance coverages.

Recent storms have pushed the capacity of the Cache River to major flood watch due to a threatened breach of the levee along the White River. Both Woodruff and Jackson county officials will continue to monitor and notify local residents of the rivers and levees status as wet weather will continue throughout spring.