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Consumer Protection Division - Consumer Fraud
The District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Division (CPD) investigates and prosecutes unfair or dishonest business practices so that Los Angeles consumers get a dollar’s value for their dollar spent. The division’s work also protects honest business people from dishonest competitors.
Through lawsuits which levy heavy monetary penalties for fraudulent practices and through jail sentences, CPD strives to uphold the California laws which protect the consumer. Examples of fraudulent business practices include:
False Advertising: It is illegal to sell goods or services through the use of untrue or misleading statements. False ads might misrepresent “sale” or “special” prices, or the features of a product, or the availability of sales goods. Read ads carefully, and watch out for fine print at the bottom. The advertiser is at fault if the ad has the tendency to mislead, even if there is no intent to defraud.
Deceptive Sales Practices: Examples of these include the “hard sell,” where high pressure tactics and half-truths are used to force a hasty purchase, and “bait-and-switch,” where consumers are lured into a store with an appealing ad and then switched to a more expensive item.
Health Fraud: Quack remedies for serious illnesses, such as cancer, AIDS, and arthritis, are dangerous and can divert a patient from proven treatments. A drug or medical device must be proven “safe and effective,” and sellers must be able to prove health claims. Bogus “diet plans” and dubious food supplements can cost you good money and, perhaps, your good health.
Fraud Aimed at Minority Communities: Con artists sometimes focus on minority communities hoping to take advantage of language or cultural differences. Examples include bogus immigration “specialists,” unfulfilled promises to transmit money overseas, and failure to provide a Spanish-language contract when a sale is made in Spanish.
Unfair Competition: CPD prosecutes businesses which take unfair advantage of their honest competitors. Agreements to fix prices, boycott competitors, or eliminate competition are unlawful. The D.A.’s Office works to ensure a level playing field for all Los Angeles businesses.
Additional examples of consumer fraud can be found at:
Consumer Protection Division
Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office
201 N. Figueroa Street
Suite 1600
Los Angeles, CA. 90012
Phone: (213) 580-3273
http://da.lacounty.gov/cpd/
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Site updated: 19 Jun 2007
