OHIO LEGAL HELP GUIDE
Free Legal Help for Consumer Scams and Identity Theft in Ohio
Learn where Ohioans can report consumer scams and identity theft, protect their credit and find legal aid for related debt, collection or credit-reporting problems.
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If you were targeted by a consumer scam or identity theft, move quickly to secure accounts, preserve evidence and report the problem to the appropriate agency. Ohio legal aid may be able to help when the fraud creates debt-collection, credit-reporting, housing, benefits or other civil legal problems.
What should I do first after identity theft?
Start by protecting the accounts and credit files that may be affected. Ohio Legal Help recommends contacting the three major credit bureaus to request a credit freeze and reporting identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission through IdentityTheft.gov. Review bank, credit-card and other account statements for transactions you do not recognize.
See the current statewide identity-theft guide at Ohio Legal Help.
Where do I report an Ohio consumer scam?
The Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section accepts complaints involving consumer transactions and provides an informal dispute-resolution process. The Attorney General currently lists 1-800-282-0515 as its consumer help number and offers an online complaint form.
Use the official Ohio Attorney General complaint page to review current options.
Is every identity-theft report handled by the Attorney General?
No. The correct agency can depend on what happened. For example, the Ohio Attorney General specifically directs unemployment identity-fraud reports to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services rather than the Attorney General’s consumer complaint process. Follow the instructions for the type of account or benefit involved.
When can legal aid help?
Identity theft and scams often create secondary legal problems: a debt collector may pursue an account you did not open, a credit report may contain fraudulent information, a landlord may rely on false debt information, or a scam may involve an unfair consumer transaction. A civil legal-aid office may be able to advise or represent an eligible person depending on the type of problem.
Find the program serving your county through the Ohio Legal Aid Directory. For debt and collection issues, also read Free Legal Help for Debt, Garnishment and Consumer Problems in Ohio.
What evidence should I preserve?
Save emails, text messages, caller information, receipts, contracts, screenshots, bank records, credit reports and copies of complaints or fraud reports. If you spoke with a business or agency, keep a dated note of who you spoke with and what was said. Avoid deleting suspicious messages until you have preserved the information you may need.
Legal Aid will not charge you a fee for legal-aid services. Ohio Legal Help warns that scammers sometimes impersonate legal-aid organizations and ask for credit-card or payment information. If someone claims to be “Legal Aid” and demands payment, independently verify the organization before providing information or money.
What if a debt collector contacts me about a fraudulent account?
Do not ignore collection notices, but do not automatically pay a debt you believe resulted from identity theft. Keep the notice, identify the creditor and collector, and respond using the dispute and identity-theft procedures that apply to the type of account. A fraudulent account can affect credit, housing and even employment long after the original theft.
If a collector files a lawsuit, court deadlines become especially important. Contact legal aid immediately and provide the summons, complaint and any identity-theft reports you already made. Our small claims guide and debt and garnishment guide explain additional places to start.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I report a consumer scam in Ohio?
The Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section accepts consumer complaints online and lists 1-800-282-0515 as its consumer help number.
What should I do if someone stole my identity?
Secure affected accounts, consider freezing your credit with all three major credit bureaus, review your credit reports and report identity theft through the appropriate government channels, including IdentityTheft.gov.
Can legal aid help with identity-theft debt?
Some Ohio legal-aid offices help eligible people with debt collection, credit reporting and other civil legal problems caused by identity theft or scams.
Does Legal Aid charge for legal services?
Civil legal-aid organizations provide qualifying legal services without charging attorney fees. Be cautious of anyone claiming to be legal aid who unexpectedly demands credit-card or payment information.
