Consumer Protection

Protecting consumers from fraud

Too often, consumers are left out of money and out of luck. Whether the scheme is focused on individual citizens—such as telemarketing scams that target senior citizens, internet fraud, or unauthorized switching of long distance carriers—or a scheme that affects huge numbers of consumers at one time—such as manipulation of the wholesale electricity market—Hardy Myers has made consumer protection a priority effort as Attorney General.

Hardy Myers' work for consumers has taken many forms.
A few are:

• Greatly expanding the hours of the Consumer Protection Hotline’s operation, and making it possible to file complaints online;
• Forming a strong partnership with the Construction Contractors’ Board to stop the operations of unlicensed construction and landscape contractors who are victimizing Oregonians;
• Putting Oregon in a lead role in combating anticompetitive conduct in the pharmaceutical industry that drives up the price of drugs, especially for senior citizens;
• Working hard to enforce Oregon’s No Call program before it was preempted by the federal government’s program last year;
• Working with Washington and California to expose, and impose accountability for, manipulations of the wholesale electricity market during the power crisis of 2000-01;
• Working to ensure that various mergers in the petroleum industry did not adversely affect competition; and
• Working to achieve compliance by major retailers with Oregon’s laws prohibiting sales of tobacco to minors.

Hardy Myers is fighting for you to reduce health care costs. Listen to what he said in NPR's All Things Considered broadcast entitled $345 Million Settlement in Claritin Marketing Case (at 2 min., 30 sec., Windows Media Player required).

RECENT ACTIONS
Rite-Aid to curb tobacco sales to minors
Hardy Myers initiates investigation of gas prices
Oregon, Washington demand help from feds with Enron