Utah consumers received more than $1.3 million in FTC refunds in 2019

(KUTV) — Consumers in Utah filed 21,930 complaints with the Federal Trade Commission with the top complaint of identity theft.

New data released by the FTC shows that consumers across Utah received $1,304,322 in refund checks in 2019.

Following identity theft, the most common complaint from Utahns reported included:

• Imposter Scams,
• Credit Reporting Issues,
• Telephone and Mobile Services, and;
• Prizes, Sweepstakes and Lotteries.

Consumers in Utah reported losing $9,117,212 to scams and fraud.

Refunds to Consumers

The FTC Act allows the FTC to seek refunds from companies whose actions harm consumers.

During 2019, more than 1.9 million consumers cashed FTC checks received as a result of law enforcement cases. When consumers don’t cash their refund checks, the FTC uses that money to send additional mailings to ensure the maximum amount of money is returned to consumers. Any remaining refund money is sent to the U.S. Treasury.

For the first time, data about the FTC’s refund program will be available online in an interactive dashboard, including state-by-state and case-by-case breakdowns of the amount refunded to consumers. The dashboard is available at ftc.gov/exploredata.

You can learn more about consumer topics and file a consumer complaint online or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).