Illinois Attorney General + CFPB Complaint Pack

ILLINOIS AG + CFPB COMPLAINT PACK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Part A — Illinois Attorney General Consumer Fraud Complaint
2. Part B — CFPB Consumer Complaint
3. Part C — Common Narrative (Reusable)
4. Part D — Additional Agency Routing Guide
5. Illinois Practice Notes
6. Sources and References

1. PART A — ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL CONSUMER FRAUD COMPLAINT

1.1. Cover Letter

[CONSUMER FULL LEGAL NAME]

[STREET ADDRESS]

[CITY, IL ZIP]

[PHONE]

[EMAIL]

Date: [__/__/____]

Office of the Illinois Attorney General

Consumer Fraud Bureau

100 West Randolph Street

Chicago, IL 60601

Consumer Fraud Hotline: (800) 386-5438 (Chicago) | (800) 243-0618 (Springfield) | (800) 243-0607 (Carbondale)

Online: https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/file-a-complaint/consumer/

RE: Consumer Fraud Complaint Against [BUSINESS NAME]

Dear Consumer Fraud Bureau:

I am submitting this written complaint pursuant to the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act (815 ILCS 505/) regarding the conduct described below. I respectfully request that the Office of the Illinois Attorney General review this matter, mediate where appropriate, and pursue enforcement action under 815 ILCS 505/7 if warranted.

The narrative, exhibits, and contact information are set forth in Part C below and the attached enclosures.

Sincerely,

[________________________________]

[CONSUMER NAME]

1.2. Illinois AG Complaint Data Sheet

1.3. Resolution Sought

I am seeking the following resolution from the business through Illinois AG mediation:

☐ Full refund of $[AMOUNT];

☐ Cancellation of the contract / account / debt;

☐ Correction of credit-bureau reporting;

☐ Cease-and-desist from the conduct described;

☐ Other: [__________________________________________].

I authorize the Office of the Illinois Attorney General to share my complaint and supporting information with the business and with other appropriate agencies.

2. PART B — CFPB CONSUMER COMPLAINT

2.1. CFPB Submission Cover

Submit this complaint at: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/

Phone: (855) 411-2372 | TTY/TDD: (855) 729-2372

Mail (only if online unavailable):

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

P.O. Box 27170

Washington, DC 20038

2.2. CFPB Complaint Data Sheet

2.3. Public Disclosure Authorization

The CFPB publishes a redacted version of the complaint narrative in its public Consumer Complaint Database. The narrative is published only with the consumer's consent. Decide before submission:

☐ I consent to publication of my redacted narrative.

☐ I do NOT consent to publication of my narrative.

3. PART C — COMMON NARRATIVE (REUSABLE)

Use the same narrative in both Part A and Part B. Tailor to each agency's character limits.

3.1. Parties

3.1. I, [CONSUMER NAME], am a resident of [CITY, IL] and a consumer within the meaning of 815 ILCS 505/1(e) and 12 U.S.C. § 5481(4).

3.2. The business complained of is [BUSINESS NAME], located at [ADDRESS], with its consumer-facing operations at [URL / PHONE].

3.2. Transaction or Account

3.3. On or about [__/__/____], I [entered into a transaction / opened an account / received a collection demand / experienced a billing event] with the business. The transaction involved [DESCRIBE PRODUCT OR SERVICE] at a price or balance of $[AMOUNT].

3.3. Conduct Complained Of

3.4. The business engaged in the following conduct, which I believe violates the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act (815 ILCS 505/2) and applicable federal consumer-financial law:

• [DESCRIBE EACH ACT — date, who, what, where, how the consumer was deceived, harmed, or harassed];

• [Continue as needed].

3.5. Specific deceptive or unfair acts include:

☐ False or misleading statements about price, quality, or terms;

☐ Failure to deliver goods or services paid for;

☐ Refusal to honor warranty, return, or refund policy;

☐ Hidden fees, undisclosed charges, or unauthorized recurring billing;

☐ Aggressive, harassing, or abusive collection tactics;

☐ Reporting of disputed or inaccurate information to consumer reporting agencies;

☐ Identity-theft-related account opening or charges;

☐ Failure to honor cancellation, rescission, or cooling-off rights;

☐ Other: [__________________________________________].

3.4. Communications with the Business

3.6. On [__/__/____], I contacted the business at [METHOD AND CONTACT POINT] and requested [REQUESTED RESOLUTION]. The business responded (or failed to respond) by [DESCRIBE].

3.7. [Repeat for each subsequent communication.]

3.5. Harm Suffered

3.8. As a result of the business's conduct, I have suffered the following harm:

• Out-of-pocket loss of $[AMOUNT];

• Harm to credit / credit-score impact;

• Time spent disputing — approximately [NUMBER] hours;

• Emotional distress, frustration, anxiety, embarrassment;

• [Other consequential harm].

3.6. Documentation Attached

3.9. I have attached the following exhibits:

3.7. Verification

3.10. I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Illinois that the foregoing is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Date: [__/__/____]

[________________________________]

[CONSUMER NAME]

4. PART D — ADDITIONAL AGENCY ROUTING GUIDE

Depending on the industry, parallel complaints may strengthen the response. Consider routing copies to:

5. ILLINOIS PRACTICE NOTES

• Illinois AG enforcement authority. The Attorney General may investigate, subpoena, sue for injunctive relief, restitution, civil penalties (up to $50,000 per violation), and dissolution of corporate charter under 815 ILCS 505/7. The AG does not represent individual consumers; it acts in the public interest. A private right of action under 815 ILCS 505/10a remains available to the consumer.
• AG complaint process. The Consumer Fraud Bureau typically forwards the complaint to the business and invites a response; many disputes resolve via informal mediation. If a pattern of conduct emerges, the AG may open a formal investigation.
• Address corrections. Illinois AG Consumer Protection Division mailing addresses (verify current addresses):
• Chicago: 100 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60601 — (800) 386-5438
• Springfield: 500 S. Second St., Springfield, IL 62701 — (800) 243-0618
• Carbondale: 1001 E. Main St., Carbondale, IL 62901 — (800) 243-0607
• CFPB scope. CFPB jurisdiction is limited to consumer financial products and services. Filing with the CFPB triggers a 15-day company response window (60 days max). The complaint becomes part of the public Consumer Complaint Database (with consumer consent for narrative).
• Tolling. Filing an administrative complaint generally does NOT toll civil statutes of limitation. Track FDCPA (1 year), FCRA (2 / 5 years), TILA (1 year), ICFA (3 years), and contract limitations independently.
• No retaliation against complainants. Illinois law prohibits retaliatory conduct against consumers for filing good-faith complaints. Document any retaliation and supplement the AG complaint.
• PIPA breach notice (separate process). Businesses experiencing a breach affecting more than 500 Illinois residents must notify the AG via the data-breach portal within 45 days of discovery (815 ILCS 530/10, 530/25). Consumers should refer their identity-theft complaints to that portal in addition to the consumer-fraud complaint above.
• Spanish-language services. The Illinois AG provides bilingual consumer-protection services. Submit complaints in Spanish via the same channels.
• Senior-specific resources. The Illinois AG operates a Senior Consumer Fraud Helpline ((800) 243-5377) and a Senior Citizens Consumer Fraud Hotline; consider referral if the consumer is 60 or older.

6. SOURCES AND REFERENCES

• Illinois Attorney General — File a Complaint — https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/file-a-complaint/
• Illinois AG — Consumer Fraud Complaint Form — https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/file-a-complaint/consumer/
• Illinois Consumer Fraud Act, 815 ILCS 505/ — https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2356&ChapterID=67
• Illinois AG Act, 15 ILCS 205/ — https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=15&ChapterID=2
• CFPB Consumer Complaint Portal — https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/
• CFPB Consumer Complaint Database — https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/
• 12 U.S.C. § 5481 et seq. (Consumer Financial Protection Act) — https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/12/chapter-53/subchapter-V
• Illinois PIPA, 815 ILCS 530/ — https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2702&ChapterID=67
• Illinois AG Data Breach Reporting — https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection/for-businesses/data-breach/
• IDFPR (banking, lending, collection-agency licensing) — https://idfpr.illinois.gov/
• FTC Report Fraud — https://reportfraud.ftc.gov

Disclaimer: This template is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. An attorney licensed in Illinois must review and customize this document before use. Laws, regulations, and agency procedures change frequently; verify all authorities and contact information before use.