Attorney General Chris Koster

Consumer Corner

Weighed down by heavy financial decisions? Suspect a scam? Not sure when to give out your Social Security number? Consider the Attorney General's Consumer Corner your resource for the most important issues you face as a consumer. This searchable, interactive section of our Web site is your one-stop-shop for information on fraud, scams, identity theft, everyday buying and selling issues and much more.

The Consumer Corner includes a blog discussion dedicated to consumer news, an encyclopedia of consumer terms, online quizzes to test your Consumer IQ, and several calculators and downloadable worksheets to aid in your decision making process. There's also a comprehensive list of government and private agencies that can help on consumer matters.

Consumer Complaints

In 2007, Attorney General Chris Koster's Consumer Protection Division returned more than $18 million in restitution to consumers through legal actions and mediation. But, we rely on consumers to act as our partners in rooting out fraud and helping us bring criminals and scammers to justice.

If you believe you have been the victim of unfair or deceptive trade practices, check out the Know Your Rights consumer publication. It contains helpful tips that will assist you in resolving your complaint.

If you still need help, file a complaint online with the Attorney General's Office or contact the Consumer Protection Division through the toll-free hotline at 1-800-392-8222. You may also search previously filed consumer complaints with Know MO.

Know MO Database

Each year, almost 100,000 Missourians contact the Attorney General's Office with questions and complaints about consumer issues. Missouri consumers now have a new tool to help them in making decisions about buying goods or contracting for services.

"Know MO" enables consumers to look up complaints the Attorney General's Office has received about individuals and businesses.

Educated consumers are one of the best weapons against fraud so you are encouraged you to use this page as a tool to help yourself be a better informed consumer.

Check a Charity

Missourians who give to charity often have questions about what percentage of their gifts go to the charitable purpose and what percentage is used for administrative costs. Donors can obtain this information for hundreds of charities through the Check a Charity web site.

Donors can search the Check a Charity database, even if they only have a partial name of the charity. The Web page for each charity includes a mission statement from the charity; the percentage of expenses that a charity spends on administrative costs; and the figures for program expenses (the costs incurred in conducting the charitable purposes), total expenses and total revenue for the year being reported.

Missouri No Call List

There are now over 2.7 million residential phone numbers on the Missouri No Call list, a number that far exceeds even the most optimistic projections.

Signing up for the No Call list is quick, easy and free. Just fill out the online registration form or call toll-free 1-866-NOCALL1. You can also use our registration lookup to find out if your phone number is on the No Call List.

Missouri's No Call program has been a model for other states, thanks in part to your work in helping us enforce the law. We are a complaint-driven system, which means we take action when we hear complaints from consumers. To date, those complaints and the legal action we have taken have led to almost $3 million in court orders against telemarketers that violated the No Call law.