AG Derek Schmidt: Consumer Protection Division recovers $16 million in 2018

The attorney general’s Consumer Protection Division recovered more than $16 million for Kansas consumers and taxpayers last year, Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced last week.

In its annual report filed today with the governor and legislature, Schmidt’s office reported nearly $16.4 million in savings and recoveries to Kansas consumers and the state treasury in calendar year 2018. During Schmidt’s administration, the division has recovered a total of more than $225 million, by far the most in state history.

“Our Consumer Protection Division works every day to help Kansans who have been scammed, ripped off or defrauded,” Schmidt said. “That is one of the top priorities for our office. Some of our most satisfying work is returning to Kansans their own money that was wrongfully taken.”

The office also continued its efforts to educate Kansas consumers on ways to avoid scams. Schmidt and his staff participated in 61 public education events, including presentations to civic groups, providing information at county fairs and other community events. The consumer protection website, www.InYourCornerKansas.org, provides a user-friendly way for Kansas consumers to learn how to protect themselves and file complaints and was viewed by nearly 33,000 unique users in 2018. Additionally, the Consumer Protection Division staff fielded more than 15,000 phone calls and answered 12,482 emails.

The Consumer Protection Division is led by Deputy Attorney General Jim Welch. Special Agent in Charge Tonya Hutchings leads the team of investigators. Schmidt is a former assistant attorney general for consumer protection, a position he held during the administration of former Attorney General Carla Stovall.

The 2018 Consumer Protection Annual Report is available online at https://bit.ly/30CzdO0.