On March 2, 2026, New York Attorney General Letitia James released a list of the top 10 consumer complaints received by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in 2025. The top fraud categories include retail, housing, automobile, Internet and banking. The top complaints concerned high prices of essential goods and services, housing issues, bank fraud and violations of online privacy. 

The following are the top 10 most common types of consumer complaints received by OAG in 2025:

Retail Sales Online and In-Person

Algorithmic Pricing

Companies that use algorithmic pricing, also known as surveillance pricing, use customers’ personal data to set individualized prices. These pricing schemes are most commonly used on businesses’ apps or as part of loyalty programs, where consumers may receive an individualized discount offering a different, personalized price. New York’s Algorithmic Pricing Disclosure Act, which took effect on November 10, 2025, requires most companies that use algorithmic pricing to clearly display a disclosure notifying consumers that prices are set using their personal data. 

The NY OAG is encouraging consumers to file complaints with OAG if they encounter algorithmic pricing that is not properly disclosed. Businesses that do not comply with the law can face a $1,000 penalty, per violation.

Price Gouging

New York law prohibits businesses from taking unfair advantage of consumers by selling goods or services that are vital to health, safety, or welfare for an unconscionably excessive price during emergencies. The price gouging law covers New York state vendors, retailers, and suppliers, and includes essential goods and services that are necessary for the health, safety, and welfare of consumers or the general public. These goods and services may include gasoline, generators, batteries, flashlights, hotel lodging, and transportation options.

Landlord/Tenant Issues

Security Deposits

• Your landlord must return your security deposit within 14 days of you are moving out. If your landlord takes any money out of the security deposit for damages, they must provide an itemized receipt describing the damage and its cost. If your landlord does not give you this receipt within 14 days of moving out, then they must return your entire security deposit, whether there is damage or not.
• If your landlord fails to comply, you may be entitled to up to twice the amount of the security deposit. 
• If your landlord does not give you back your security deposit, you can sue the landlord in small claims court or you can file a complaint with OAG by using the online Rent Security Complaint form.
• Landlords of buildings with six or more units must deposit a tenant’s security deposit into an interest-bearing account in a bank within the state that pays a prevailing rate. The landlord is required to provide notice to the tenant of the name and address of the bank where the security deposit is located.

Rent

• Tenants in a rent-stabilized apartment are entitled to one- or two-year renewal leases at their option and at percentage increases that are established each year by the Rent Guidelines Board.
• Avoid signing back-dated documents from your landlord or the building management company, such as back-dated leases that were not offered to you in a timely way. Not only is signing a back-dated document inaccurate, it may also result in negative legal consequences down the road. 
• If you are having trouble paying your rent, please contact your local Department of Social Services (DSS). New York City residents can call 311 and ask about rental assistance programs. 

Automobile Fraud

• New York’s Lemon Laws protect consumers who buy or lease new and used cars. You may be entitled to a refund or comparable replacement car if the car you purchased does not match the terms of its written warranty and you meet other requirements.
• Attorney General James recently took action against car manufacturers Hyundai and Kia for allegedly failing to install proper anti-theft technology in their vehicles.

Utilities, Internet, and Residential Phone Service

• Any consumer who believes they received a high utility bill as a result of a billing error or experienced an unauthorized shutoff should report it to OAG by filing a complaint online..
• Resources are available for consumers who may need help paying their utility bill. Utilities companies offer programs and payment plans to help. In addition, the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) helps low-income individuals pay the cost of heating their homes. 
• In addition, residential customers in New York should have strong legal protections for essential winter weather services, including heat and hot water.

Internet Fraud

Consumers should take the following steps to help protect themselves online from account takeovers, in which scammers gain access to personal accounts to steal personal information, read private messages, fraudulently charge credit cards, and take other nefarious actions.

• Use strong passwords.
• Use multifactor authentication. 
• Enable notifications of account changes. 
• Use antivirus software. 
• Check breached credentials databases. 

In addition to releasing proposed rules to restrict addictive social media features and protect children’s mental health online under the SAFE for Kids Act, NY OAG encourages parents to take the following steps to protect their children online:

• Keep consoles and PCs in high-traffic common areas (like the living room). 
• Avoid allowing gaming devices in bedrooms, especially overnight. 
• Foster open and honest dialogue.
• Set screentime limits. 
• Prioritize privacy. 
• Avoid saving credit card information to the console. 
• Watch for in-game scams. 
• Always create a Parent Account first, then create a Child Account under it. 
• You can set accounts to "Friends Only" or disable chat entirely for younger children. 

Contact the author if you or your company have been contacted by a consumer protection regulatory agency concerning your advertising and marketing practices.

Credit and Banking Fraud  

NY OAG provides the following tips to help New Yorkers avoid being scammed:

• Do not click on unsolicited links provided via text or email.
• Do not call the number provided in a pop-up, text, or email.
• Never read codes, passwords, or other security or personal information over the phone to someone who called you directly.
• Never give someone you don’t know remote access to your computer.
• Never move your money out of your bank account at the urging of someone over the phone. 
• If someone claims there is an issue with your bank account, hang up and contact your financial institution by calling the number printed on your bank statement instead. 
• Remember, a scam is effective because the scammer creates a circumstance that relies on pressuring the victim into life-altering decisions on the spot and swearing them to secrecy. 

Consumers that are concerned that their personal data has been compromised can freeze their credit with the three major credit bureaus: Equifax; Experian; and TransUnion. A credit freeze lets you restrict access to your credit report, which makes it more difficult for someone to open a new account in your name. Credit freezes and unfreezes are free.

Fraud alerts, which are also free, can be obtained for a year. When you place a fraud alert on your credit report, businesses are required to take reasonable steps to ensure that the person who is applying for credit in a particular name is indeed that person and not someone else.

Immigration Service Provider Fraud and Immigration Scams

New Yorkers should beware of scammers who pose as immigration service providers and make false promises of citizenship and residency. New York’s Immigrant Assistance Service Enforcement Act protects immigrants from fraud and requires immigration service providers to operate lawfully.

Immigration service providers are not attorneys and cannot provide legal advice or representation. New York law requires service providers to follow certain rules — including posting signs explicitly stating they are not attorneys — to protect immigrants from scams and fraud. Under New York law, immigration service providers cannot:

• Provide legal advice;
• Use the title of “attorney,” “notary public” (unless they are licensed by the state), “accredited representative,” “notario publico,” “notario,” “immigration specialist,” or “immigration consultant”;
• Imply that he or she can obtain special favors with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or any other governmental entity;
• Threaten to report a consumer to U.S. Department of Homeland Security or other authorities, or threaten to undermine a consumer’s immigration status;
• Demand or retain fees for services not performed, or services to be performed in the future, or costs that have not been incurred; or
• Advise, direct, or permit a consumer to provide a false statement on a government document or in a discussion with a government official.

Home Improvement

• Before deciding to install solar panels on your home, thoroughly research the companies and the different products available before making a decision and consult OAG’s guide for home solar power.
• Consumers should use the following tips to protect themselves:
  • Be wary of anyone who shows up at your door unsolicited and offers to do home repairs.
  • Non-local contractors may be difficult to track down if they perform work incorrectly or if you later have additional problems that you want them to fix.
  • Use a contractor with a name, address, and contact number you can verify.
  • Don’t fall prey to high-pressure tactics. A legitimate contractor won’t pressure you to sign a contract and hand over a deposit on the spot.
  • Never give a contractor a cash deposit before you sign a contract.
  • Always do your homework before you hire a contractor:
    • Ask for references and follow up by checking with them.
    • Ask the contractor for proof of insurance.
    • Check the BBB website for complaints.
    • Search online for any evidence that the contractor is disreputable.
    • Home-improvement contractors must be licensed in New York City, Suffolk, Nassau, Westchester, Putnam, and Rockland counties, and the City of Buffalo. Before you hire a contractor, check to make sure the contractor is licensed or registered in your county. 

Air Travel

• The OAG urges all New Yorkers with air travel plans to know their rights and take the following steps to protect themselves during their air travel:
• If a flight is significantly delayed, canceled, or if a traveler is denied boarding despite purchasing a ticket, they may be entitled to compensation. Travelers can submit complaints online and should have the following documents and materials available to provide with their complaint:
  • Booking details, such as their ticket, itinerary, and invoice;
  • Flight details, such as dates, flight numbers, and city pairs; and
  • Any supporting documentation, such as a copy of the complaint filed with the airline or ticket agent, if available.
• Travelers are entitled to a refund if an airline cancels a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel or accept travel credits, vouchers, or other forms of compensation offered by the airline.
• Travelers are eligible to receive a full refund on their ticket within 24 hours of purchasing it if the ticket is purchased more than seven days before the flight. However, most discount fares are non-refundable.
• Airlines are required to adhere to the promises that they make in their customer service plan, including commitments to care for travelers in the event of controllable delays or cancellations. Travelers should consult the United States Department of Transportation’s airline cancellation and delay dashboard to see what amenities and compensation airlines have committed to provide passengers in the event of a controllable delay or cancellation.
• If a flight is scheduled to depart within seven days, airlines are required to provide status updates within 30 minutes of the airline becoming aware of a change. The flight status information must, at a minimum, be provided on the airline's website and telephone reservation system. The airline must also update all flight status displays and other sources of flight information at U.S. airports that are under the airline's control within 30 minutes of the airline becoming aware of the problem.
• If an airline has overbooked a flight and not enough passengers have volunteered to give up their seats to fly on a different flight, they may select passengers to bump off the flight. Passengers who are bumped may be entitled to compensation and must receive a written statement describing their rights and explaining how the airline decides who gets bumped.
• Travelers are entitled to refunds of their checked bag fees if their baggage:
  • Has been declared lost by the airline;
  • Is not delivered within 12 hours after the flight has arrived if it is on a domestic flight;
  • Is not delivered within 15 hours after the flight has arrived if the flight is international and shorter than 12 hours; or
  • Is not delivered within 30 hours after the flight has arrived if the flight is international and longer than 12 hours.