NEW YORK -

New York Attorney General Letitia James opened National Consumer Protection Week on Monday by releasing the list of top 10 consumer fraud complaints received by her office in 2019.

Automotive complaints didn’t top the list, the attorney general indicated issues involving vehicle sales, leasing, repair, service contracts and rentals comprised 2,510 complaints, ranking third on James’ list.

The New York attorney general found that internet-related complaints topped the list of complaints for the 14th year in a row with 4,436 complaints last year. This category covered a range of issues, including internet services and service providers, data privacy and security, digital media, data breaches and frauds through internet manipulation.

Consumer-related service complaints were second on the list with 2,659 complaints, in areas such as banking, immigration services, security systems, technical repairs and schools.

“This top 10 list not only reflects the numerous ways in which consumers were unfortunately defrauded, cheated and conned in 2019, but should serve as a warning sign for all consumers as we forge ahead into 2020,” James said in a news release.

“Consumers who have helped identify and report issues to our office have been invaluable partners in our efforts to stop deceptive scams and will be vital in our efforts to stop fraudsters dead in their tracks going forward. My office will continue to use every tool at its disposal to protect New York consumers and enforce our laws,” she went on to say.

Here is the entire top 10 list:

RANKING 

CATEGORY 

NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS 

1 

Internet-Related (internet services and service providers, data privacy and security, digital media, data breaches, frauds through internet manipulation) 

4,436 

2 

Consumer-Related 
(security systems, tech repairs, immigration services, consignment shops)  

2,659 

3 

Automobile (buying, leasing, repair, service contracts, rentals)  

2,510 

4 

Landlord/Tenant Disputes
(security deposit releases, tenant-harassment) 

1,910 

5 

Utilities (wireless and residential phones, energy servicers and suppliers, cable and satellite) 

1,811 

6 

Credit (debt collection, credit card billing,  debt settlement and debt relief, payday loans, credit  repair, credit reporting
agencies, identity theft) 

1,206 

7 

Retail Sales (any sale of goods: food, clothing, rent-to-own, online orders) 

1,091 

8 

Home Repair/Construction
(home improvement services not delivered or done poorly) 

901 

9 

Mail Order and Online Catalogs (purchases made via mail order or online catalog) 

593 

10 

Mortgage (mortgage modifications, mortgage and loan broker fraud, foreclosures) 

493