Global Navigation
Office of The Attorney General
The State of New Jersey Office of The Attorney General (Dept. of Law & Public Safety) The State of New Jersey NJ Home Services A to Z Departments/Agencies OAG Frequently Asked Questions
Services A to Z Departments/Agencies OAG Frequently Asked Questions
OAG Home
OAG Contact
Back to News Releases
OAG Home Attorney General's Biography
Attorney General's Biography
spacer spacer spacer
 
spacer spacer spacer
spacer spacer spacer
For Immediate Release:
For Further Information:
spacer spacer spacer

January 18, 2011

Office of The Attorney General
- Paula T. Dow, Attorney General
Division of Consumer Affairs
- Thomas R. Calcagni, Acting Director

Media Inquiries-
Jeff Lamm
973-504-6327
Citizen Inquiries-
609-292-4925

spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer

Division of Consumer Affairs Launches Credit Repair Information Campaign

spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer
Credit Repair Print Ad
spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer

NEWARK – The State Division of Consumer Affairs this week launches a multi-media outreach campaign that educates consumers about how to avoid credit repair scams that may actually worsen their situation.

“Your credit history is critically important when financing a major purchase, obtaining a loan and even when applying for a job,” said Thomas R. Calcagni, Acting Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “Through this outreach campaign, we want consumers to learn that everything that a credit repair company will claim to do for you legally, you can do for yourself at little or no cost. We’ve seen these so-called credit repair companies scam consumers out of hundreds of dollars while essentially doing nothing and we want consumers to be alert to these frauds.”

The Division of Consumer Affairs outreach campaign is primarily funded by a grant from the Sears Consumer Protection and Education Fund.

The outreach campaign includes radio ads that began airing today and newspaper ads will appear this Sunday. Both the radio and print ads refer consumers to the Division's web site, www.njconsumeraffairs.gov , where detailed information has been posted.

The posted information includes how to obtain a free annual credit report and how to notify the credit reporting companies of incorrect or missing information on your credit report.

“Consumers can report incorrect or missing information themselves, without the cost of hiring a company that promises to repair your credit,” Calcagni noted. “Be dubious of any company that claims it can erase bad credit information from your history.”

The Division of Consumer Affairs in October 2008 filed suit against a Lakewood-based credit repair and credit counseling firm, United Credit Adjusters, alleging that it failed to provide the promised services after clients made required payments in advance. The Division also alleged that contrary to the company’s representations and advertisements, consumers’ credit scores were not raised nor was negative information eliminated from credit reports.

The two officers of United Credit Adjusters were permanently barred from doing credit counseling, credit repair, debt adjuster and bankruptcy work in New Jersey, under the terms of the Final Consent Judgment entered in 2009.

“We will investigate any and all complaints about alleged fraud committed by companies that promise to repair consumers’ credit ratings,” Calcagni said.

To find out more about credit repair, contact the Division of Consumer Affairs at 888-656-6225 (toll-free within N.J.) or 973-424-8150, or visit www.njconsumeraffairs.gov .

###

spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer
 
 
Contact OAG About OAG
OAG News OAG Frequently Asked Questions
OAG Library Employment
OAG Grants Proposed Rules
OAG History OAG Services A-Z
OAG Agencies / Programs / Units
Other News Pages Otras Noticias en Español Division of NJ State Police Division of Law News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Gaming Enforcement News
NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News

free PDF plugin

NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News
 
   
Contact Us | Privacy Notice | Legal Statement | Accessibility Statement
NJ Home Logo
Departmental: OAG Home | Contact OAG | About OAG | OAG News | OAG FAQs
Statewide: NJ Home | Services A to Z | Departments/Agencies | FAQs
Copyright © State of New Jersey
This page is maintained by OAG Communications. Comments/Questions: email or call 609-292-4925
OAG Home OAG Home NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News