Michigan residents are filing more complaints about identity theft and consumer satisfaction, according to Attorney General Mike Cox.
Complaints that include credit and financial concerns topped Cox's list of top consumer complaints in 2005, according to a report released in early February.
Identity theft was frequently mentioned in complaints obtained by the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division.
The office recovered $4.5 million in consumer refunds from complaints.
$5.8 million was also recovered for the state this year.
"These numbers speak volumes," said Cox in a written statement.
Throughout National Consumer Protection Week Feb. 5 to Feb. 11, Cox's staff aimed to educate the public on how to protect against identity theft and being more aware in avoiding the possibility of future financial discrepancies.
Amassed from more than 18,600 written complaints and inquiries, other issues also included telecommunications and television (do-not-call lists, unauthorized switch of service provider), retail (merchandise quality, pricing errors), gasoline (price gouging) and Internet complaints (failure for companies to send refunds, identity theft, auction scams).
Fred Hoffecker, president and CEO of the Michigan Better Business Bureau for Detroit and eastern Michigan, said he sees the spike in complaints as a reflection of Michigan's struggling economy.
"People need to check out businesses before they make their transactions," Hoffecker said.
Hoffecker advocates consumers take a defensive stand when dealing with shoddy business practices and keep critical information safe from identity thieves.
"We recommend purchasing shredders to dispose of documents containing credit card and social security numbers," he said.
Mailboxes on curbs are not always the best way to mail bill payments.
Raising the red flag on the box indicating that mail is set to be picked up for postage is a big no-no, Hoffecker said.
"It is such an easy target for identity thieves," Hoffecker said. "They can just cruise by and pick up any kind of information left in the box. Dropping bill payments off at the post office is the best defense."
According to an FBI report, nearly 10 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2004 — experiencing losses totaling $52.6 billion.
Out of the 50 states, Michigan ranks 16th in identity thefts with 72.3 victims per every 100,000 people. Hoffecker views the crime as a big deal in consumer affairs.
He said that staying on top of research and using common sense is the cure to any consumer palliatives.
"Identity theft is a lot easier from a consumer standpoint to avoid rather than fix. It's a difficult crime to enforce. The offenders are far away, they hit one place and move to the next," Hoffecker said.
The Better Business Bureau's Web site, http://easternmichiganbbb.org, gives consumers an in-depth look at how they can protect themselves.
"We're here to help," said Hoffecker. "It's all about being out there and finding a solution rather than a problem."
