State Attorney's Office visits OU
By Jasmin Goodman, Staff Writer
April 29, 2008 | 6 a.m.
Melissa Luna, staff attorney for the legal office, contacted the Ohio Attorney General’s Office after reading a news article about credit card companies aggressively targeting college students. Luna, who handles civil complaints for the office, contacted the Consumer Protection office out of concern for Ohio University students.
“I felt like we were seeing more scams and frauds coming through our office,” Luna said.
Representatives from Attorney General Marc Dann’s Office were on campus to warn students about popular scams and inform them of their rights.
“We’ve always wanted to increase our outreach to students,” said Manilath Southammavong, a Consumer Protection representative from the Attorney General’s office. According to Southammavong, her office has typically focused on the elderly because they have traditionally been more vulnerable.
Among the topics covered were credit card debt, identity theft and other popular frauds and scams.
“A lot of identity thefts take place the old fashion way, like dumpster diving,” said Kate Hanson, another representative from the State Attorney’s Office.
One emerging trend in identity theft is taking place at restaurants. Patrons are advised to be careful when using their credit cards to pay for meals. According to Hanson, restaurant workers have the opportunity to steal not only the credit card account number but the three-digit security code on the back as well. “Be vigilant about how your credit is used,” she said.
Of the almost 24,000 complaints filed with the Attorney General’s office last year, a number of those were from consumers who had given their personal information to scam artists pretending to be bank representatives. “Your bank and any other government agency will never ask for your information because they already have it,” Southammavong said.
The number one complaint received by the State Attorney’s Office involves the purchase or repair of vehicles. “How many days do you have to cancel an auto purchase?” Hanson asked the students. “Zero. Once you purchase a vehicle, you are responsible for all repairs and damages.”
Luna also warned against purchasing cars that were damaged by Hurricane Katrina. “Be on the lookout for these cars. A lot of people brought these cars north to sell them to unsuspecting buyers,” she said.
If you have fallen victim to a scam or fraud, the Center for Student Legal Services on campus is available to assist with litigation. Unfortunately, if students have waived the $8 student legal fee on their tuition statements, the office will not be able to provide legal assistance. “Many students opt out of paying the legal fee but then contact our office to help with their claim. Unfortunately, we can’t help them,” Luna said.
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