We know that businesses want to make money on the products and services they sell. But when manufacturers or retailers make false claims, spread disinformation, or use other misleading tactics to entice sales, they are engaging in one or more deceptive trade practices. Examples include the tampering of odometers by car dealers and making wildly inaccurate claims about a given product. Illinois deceptive trade practices law adheres to the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act and allows both state attorneys and private parties to file suit.
Deceptive Trade practices laws in Illinois
Learn more about Illinois deceptive trade practices law in the following table, with links to additional resources below.
| Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act Adopted | Yes (§815 ILCS 510/1 et seq.) |
| False Advertising Forbidden | Yes; (§815 ILCS 510/2) |
| Who May Bring Suit | State attorney or attorney general may enjoin; private party (815 ILCS 510/3 |
| Remedies Available | Injunctive relief, costs or attorney's fees (815 ILCS 510/3) |
| Auto Odometer Tampering Forbidden | Yes; Class A misdemeanor (§720 ILCS 5/17-11) |
There are all kinds of consumer scams out there. If you think a business or a person is engaging in unfair or deceptive business practices, you can contact a consumer protection office in your area. Consumer protection offices can provide information about ongoing consumer scams and can also investigate and prosecute scammers under criminal statutes. Also local sources, such as your local newspaper, radio station, television station, or prosecutor, may have resources that can help. Many of these local sources have dedicated resources to expose existing scams and help protect local citizens against future consumer scams.
In addition to these local and state agencies, there are federal agencies, such as www.consumeraction.gov, that you can also contact. A number of nonprofits, such as the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org and sites like www.fraud.org, can assist you in registering complaints regarding local or large-scale consumer scams. Fraud.org allows you to fill out a fraud complaint online, and can also handle forwarding it to appropriate agencies local, state, and federal agencies.
Illinois Deceptive Trade Practices Laws: Related Resources
Consumer scams and the state laws that cover them are constantly changing. If you would like legal assistance regarding a case of consumer fraud or deceptive trade practices, you can- contact an Illinois consumer protection attorney in your area and schedule a consultation to discuss your case. You can also visit FindLaw's Consumer Protection section for related articles and resources on this topic.
