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Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson Joins Eight Attorneys General And Province Of Manitoba In Lawsuit Against United States Environmental Protection Agency
Lawsuit challenges EPA's promulgation of Water Transfer Rule Full Story

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson Opposes Minnesota Power's Proposed Rate Hike
Encourages Customers To Attend Public Meetings On Rate Hikes Full Story

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson Stops Two Car "Warranty" Companies From Using Deceptive Sales Practices In The Sale Of Motor Vehicle Service Contracts In Minnesota
Swanson warns consumers to be on guard against deceptive warranty notices and telemarketing Full Story

Motor Vehicle Service Contracts (PDF)
Buying A Car Optional Products (PDF)

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson Sues Two More Out-Of-State Mortgage "Foreclosure Consultants" -- Bringing To A Total Of Ten Such Companies Her Office Has Now Sued In This Area
Swanson warns homeowners to be on the lookout for similar foreclosure rescue scams Full Story

Consumer Tips: Facing Mortgage Foreclosure (PDF)

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson Files Suit Against Source Lending Corporation Over Abusive Predatory Mortgage Lending Practices
Full Story

Minnesota Wins Victory Against EPA Involving Invasive Species In Great Lakes Full Story

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson Calls On Federal Regulators To Implement Better Protections For Consumers Against Unfair Or Deceptive Practices By Credit Card Companies. Full Story (PDF)

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson Files Suit Against AFNI Inc., An Ilinois Debt Collection Agency Full Story

Consumer Tips: Dealing With Debt Collectors (PDF)
Brochure: The Credit Handbook (PDF)

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson and Minnesota pollution control agency jointly sue Feedlot to abate public nuisance and for violations of Minnesota’s environmental protection laws Full Story

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson Files Criminal Charges Against Nursing Care Facility Owner For Neglecting Patients and Defrauding The State Medicaid Program Full Story

Attorney General Lori Swanson Opposes Federal Preemption Of State Consumer Protection Laws Regarding Cell Phones Full Story

Attorney General Lori Swanson Sues Six Mortgage "Foreclosure Consultants" for Violations of Minnesota Consumer Protection Laws Full Story

Consumer Tips: Facing Mortgage Foreclosure (PDF)

Attorney General Files Legal Brief Stating That District Court Should Be Allowed To Critically Review Shareholder Derivative Action In UnitedHealth Litigation Read Brief (PDF)

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson Leads Coalition Of Six Great Lakes States Attorneys General In Filing A Legal Brief In Support Of Michigan On Ballast Water. Brief supports the rights of states to regulate ballast water discharge in the Great Lakes to protect our natural resources Full Story

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson Settles American Equity Case And Sues Amerus/American Investors Over Unsuitable Annuities Full Story

Annuities--Beware Unsuitable Investments for Seniors (PDF)

Minnesota Joins Nationwide Agreement With MySpace To Improve Social Networking Safety Read the Agreement PDF

Additional Resources on Safe Internet Use

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson Joins 16 States Suing The EPA Over Vehicle Emissions Standards
Suit seeks to preserve the State's right to regulate vehicle emissions Full Story

Read the Motion (PDF)

Attorney General Lori Swanson Sues Paragon Laboratories Over Unwanted Merchandise Scheme
Suit alleges that Paragon violated consumer protection laws by coercing consumers to pay for unwanted merchandise Full Story

Unordered Merchandise (PDF)
Fake Invoices Targeted at Businesses (PDF)

Attorney General Lori Swanson Settles Monopolization Charges Against Waste Management of Minnesota, Inc.
Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson announced a settlement with Waste Management of Minnesota, Inc. (“WMM”), one of the largest garbage haulers in Minnesota, designed to foster competition among commercial waste haulers in the Mankato area. Full Story

Swanson Sues Two Out-Of-State Mortgage "Foreclosure Consultants" For Charging Fees But Not Delivering Promised Services
Suit alleges violation of 2004 law that prohibits foreclosure consultants from charging fees before services are performed Full Story

Consumer Tips: Facing Mortgage Foreclosure

Attorney General Lori Swanson Sues Midland National Life Insurance Company
Suit is third one by office against an annuity insurer this year Full Story

Consumer Tips: for Deferred Annuities

Minnesota Joins 11 Other States in Suit Against EPA for Denying Public Access to Information on Toxic Chemicals in Our Communities
Lawsuit seeks to overturn the weakened reporting system and allow public access as in the past Full Story

Attorney General Lori Swanson Joins U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar in Washington D.C. to Testify on Cell Phone Contracts Before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee
AG Swanson testifies in support of Consumer Cell Phone Empowerment Act authored by U.S Senator Klobuchar and U.S. Senator Rockefeller Full Story

Attorney General Lori Swanson Settles Suit Against Allianz
Under the settlement, Allianz will provide restitution to Minnesota seniors and implement more stringent suitability processes Full Story

• AG Swanson files suit against Allianz Life for selling unsuitable annuities to seniors citizens Full Story

Consumer Tips: for Deferred Annuities

Attorney General Swanson Files Lawsuit Against Sprint Nextel
Lawsuit alleges that company unlawfully extended contracts--without obtaining knowing consent--when customers made small changes to their phone service Full Story

Consumer Tips: Cell Phone Contracts

Swanson, State AGs Settle School Bus Merger Case
The settlement allows local school districts to assume bus depot leases and open greater competition in the bidding for school bus contracts. Full Story

Attorney General Swanson Files Lawsuit to Halt Foundation’s Investment Scheme
Foundation obtained “charitable” loans from citizens by promising rates of return as high as 72% on “endowment grants” Full Story

Investment Fraud Prevention Alert

Attorney General Lori Swanson Urges Creditors to Assist Flood Victims
Full Story

Disaster Information PDF

Attorney General Swanson Files Lawsuit to Shut Down Sham Charity
Suit alleges that ABC Humanitarian Trust did not use vehicle donations for charitable purposes. Full Story

Cars For Charity: A Guide to Vehicle Donations

Attorney General Swanson Takes Action Against St. Paul Radiology Regarding its Billing Practices
Files court action to compel St. Paul Radiology's cooperation with investigation into the clinic's billing and debt collection practices Full Story

Attorney General Swanson Testifies Before the Federal Reserve Board on Predatory Mortgage Lending

• Attorney General Swanson Supports Federal Legislation to Curb Predatory Mortgage Lending Full Story
• Attorney General Swanson Testifies before United States House of Representatives Financial Services Committee on the Impact of Predatory Mortgage Lending and Foreclosures Full Story
• Swanson Urges Federal Reserve Board to Take Action to Curb Abusive Mortgage Lending Practices Full Story
  

  Click Here to Read Attorney General Swanson's Full Testimony (PDF)

Attorney General Swanson Issues Fraud Alert to Warn Minnesotans of Financial Scams
Alert warns of foreign lottery scams, cashiers check scams, advance fee loan scams and phishing scams, which are advanced by new technology Full Story

Top 5 Scams
Top 10 Tips to Avoid Consumer Scams
Magnitude of Consumer Fraud
Seniors Guide to Fighting Fraud (PDF)

Attorney General Swanson Asks MySpace.com to Disclose Information on Registered Sex Offenders that it has Discovered with Profiles on its Website
Swanson requests that MySpace.com disclose profile and contact information of all MySpace.com users that the company has identified as sex offenders in the State of Minnesota and requests data on users registered as sex offenders in other states who have used Minnesota addresses in connection with the website. Full Story

Additional Resources on Safe Internet Use

AG Swanson and New York AG Cuomo Enter Settlement Agreement with Capella University Regarding Student Loan Investigation
Attorney General Lori Swanson along with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo today announced a settlement agreement with Capella University relating to the school’s student loan referral practices. Full Story

Click here to view Student Loan Guide

Attorney General Swanson Files Lawsuit Against Another Annuity Insurer
Attorney General Lori Swanson today filed another lawsuit against a life insurance company for unsuitable sales of long term annuities to Minnesota senior citizens. Full Story

Consumer Tips for Deferred Annuities

Attorney General Swanson and Minnesota Hospitals Announce Continuation of Fair Medical Billing Agreement
Minnesota Hospitals have agreed not to charge uninsured patients more than they charge their largest insurance companies for the same service. The agreement also sets forth guidelines to establish more fair medical debt collection practices. Full Story

Attorney General Swanson files suit against American Family Legal Plan and Heritage Marketing and Insurance Services
Suit alleges that companies used misrepresentation and fear to market unsuitable boilerplate living trusts and annuities to seniors. Full Story

living trust mills tip sheet (PDF)
Probate and Planning: A Guide to Planning for the Future (PDF)

Attorney General Swanson Files Complaint Regarding Fixed Natural Gas Billing Programs
Swanson’s complaint requests that the PUC reevaluate its approval of the programs based on new information her investigation uncovered. Full Story

Click here to view the complaint (PDF)
Click here to file a complaint

Attorney General Swanson Files Suit Against Reaching Arms International Seeking a Financial Audit of the Adoption Agency:

Click here to view Memorandum of Law (PDF)
Click here to file a complaint (PDF)