District Attorney
Consumer Fraud Unit

Consumer fraud refers to deceptive or dishonest practices employed by individuals or companies to exploit consumers for financial gain. It involves any act of deception or misrepresentation that leads consumers to make purchases, provide personal information, or engage in transactions under false pretenses. Consumer fraud can occur in various forms, such as online scams, identity theft, telemarketing fraud, pyramid schemes, false advertising, and fake product sales.

The primary goal of consumer fraud is to deceive consumers into believing they are getting a legitimate product or service, while in reality, they are being tricked or defrauded. Fraudsters may use various tactics, including false claims, hidden fees, bait-and-switch techniques, phishing emails, fake websites, or impersonation, to gain the trust of unsuspecting individuals.

Consumer fraud can have serious consequences for victims, including financial losses, compromised personal information, damage to credit scores, and emotional distress. It affects individuals across various demographics and can have a significant impact on consumer confidence and trust in the marketplace.

The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office investigates and prosecutes persons or businesses who engage in unfair, unlawful or deceptive business practices. The Consumer Fraud Unit also prosecutes cases referred to our office by outside agencies, or may refer complaints received by our office to outside agencies. Some of the types of cases the Consumer Fraud Unit will investigate and prosecute are fraud in the sales of motor vehicles, fraudulent contractors, fraud in automobile repair shops, predatory towing companies, fraudulent appliance repair, immigration fraud and internet fraud.

In addition to handling local consumer cases, this office handles statewide Consumer Fraud cases involving unfair or illegal business practices that occur in several counties simultaneously

To report consumer fraud please print and complete the form on the right. For general questions, you may use the Consumer-Enviro Email Form.