KWAME RAOUL
ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL
A Message from
ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL
KWAME RAOUL
Running a business is as
challenging as it is fulfilling.
When a business becomes a
victim of a scam or fraudulent
practices, the result is a waste
of resources, time and energy
that would otherwise be
directed toward your business goals.
The Office of the Attorney General will protect
small businesses from fraud and will be
available to help you work through situations
that arise. Even the most watchful and diligent
business could get caught up in telemarketing
schemes, office supply scams or payment ripoffs
by service providers, to give just a few
examples. To respond to the dishonest forces,
this office has cultivated experts in the
Consumer Fraud Bureau, the Health Care
Bureau and the Franchise Bureau to analyze
fraud complaints and seek a resolution.
I invite businesses throughout the state to learn
about the services available to small businesses
in the Office of the Attorney General. Our
knowledgeable, experienced staff ready to help.
Together we can create a climate of fairness and
integrity that will benefit small businesses and
by extension, Illinois business environment.
Kwame Raoul
Illinois Attorney General
For more information or to request
assistance, please contact the Office of
Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
Printed by authority of the State of Illinois. 10/19
This material is available in alternate format upon request.
www.IllinoisAttorneyGeneral.gov
Consumer Fraud Hotlines
Chicago
1-800-386-5438
TTY: 1-800-964-3013
Springfield
1-800-243-0618
TTY: 1-877-844-5461
Carbondale
1-800-243-0607
TTY: 1-877-675-9339
Franchise Bureau
(217) 782-4465
TTY: 1-877-844-5461
Health Care Helpline
1-877-305-5145
TTY: 1-800-964-3013
Several bureaus within the
Attorney General’s Office
provide services that
assist small businesses
in Illinois.
Franchise Bureau
The Franchise Bureau registers and moni-
tors franchisors and brokers who seek to sell
franchises in Illinois. The goal of the
bureau—and the Franchise Disclosure Act it
administers—is to provide pre-sale disclo-
sures and protection for prospective fran-
chisees. The bureau provides information on
the Franchise Disclosure Act, rules applica-
ble to the offering of franchises, and busi-
ness and financial histories of franchisors.
Health Care Bureau
Through mediation, the Health Care Bureau
can help business owners and their employ-
ees resolve disputes with health insurance
companies and health care providers, ensur-
ing that plan participants receive the cover-
age to which they are entitled.
Consumer Fraud Bureau
The Consumer Fraud Bureau seeks to
protect Illinois consumers and businesses
from victimization by fraud, deception and
unfair methods of competition. Through the
Attorney General’s mediation program, the
bureau facilitates resolutions to disputes in
which businesses or consumers feel they
have been victimized in the
marketplace.
Our goal is to break down the barriers that
stand in the way of amicable resolutions.
Through the mediation program, the parties
to a dispute often avoid spending the signifi-
cant amounts of time and money associated
with litigation. As a result, the Attorney
General’s Office has saved Illinois businesses
and consumers millions of dollars. Although
the Attorney General’s mediators are not
judges and cannot make factual determina-
tions with respect to a dispute, both business-
es and consumers benefit from the mediation
program.
Under Illinois law, small businesses are enti-
tled to the same protections against fraud and
deception as consumers. If a pattern of fraud
is found, the Attorney General can take legal
action against the perpetrators on behalf of
the State of Illinois.
WATCH OUT FOR:
Office Supply Scams
Collect Call Scams
Phony Billing Schemes
Fraudulent Charitable Solicitations
Telephone Service “Slamming”
Tips to Protect Your Business
• Assign one person or department to
handle incoming sales calls or solicita-
tions and approve all purchases of office
supplies.
• Instruct employees not to give out
information regarding office machines
and copiers, especially when responding
to telephone solicitations.
• Check out unfamiliar companies and
offers before placing an order.
• Keep a list of regularly used vendors
as protection against schemers who
claim the order is a “renewal.”
• When you place an order, ask for written
confirmation with all conditions clearly
spelled out.
• Immediately notify the supplier in
writing of unauthorized shipments or
invoices. Clearly state that you did
not place an order and will not accept
delivery. If the goods have already been
delivered, notify the company that you
will not pay and that the goods are
available for pickup. If the company
claims to have a tape recording of the
order, insist on hearing it. If they claim to
have an invoice or other documentation,
insist on seeing it.
