Consumer Sources and Protection
Organizations and Agencies

Updated May 2001

Wyoming Office of Attorney General

Gay Woodhouse, Attorney General
123 Capitol Building
200 W. 24^th St.
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-7841
www.state.wy.us

Wyoming Office of Secretary of State

Joseph B. Meyer, Secretary of State
State Capitol Building
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-7378
sos.wy.state/wy.us/

Wyoming Department of Health - Division of Aging

Dan Stackis, Administrator
Email: wyaging@state.wy.us
Edna Vajda, Deputy Administrator
Email: evajda@state.wy.us
6101 Yellowstone Road, 259B North
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-7986; FAX: (307) 777-5340
(800) 442-2766
wdhfs.state.wy.us/aging/

Wyoming Senior Citizens, Inc.

Tamra Ward, Executive Director
106 West Adams
P.O. Box BD
Riverton, WY 82501
(307) 856-6880; (800) 856-4398
www.wyomingseniors.com

Fraud

The following agencies and organizations should be contacted if you become a victim of any type of fraud or business activity. In addition to these resources, specific types of fraud or illegal business activities have been listed with information about where to complain or obtain information.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
(202) 382-4357; (202) 326-2502 (TDD)
www.ftc.gov (see online complaint form)

The FTC cannot resolve consumer problems, but it can act against a company if it sees a pattern of legal violations.

National Fraud Information Center (NFIC)

P.O. Box 65868
Washington, DC 20035
(800) 876-7060
www.fraud.org

Wyoming Attorney General's Office - Consumer Affairs Division

Chris Petri, Senior Assistant Attorney General
Herschler Building, 1 East
122 W. 25^th Street
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-7874; (800) 438-5799
www.state.wy.us

Fraud: Medicaid and Other Public Assistance Programs

Suspected fraud by a Medicaid provider or abuse/neglect in a Medicaid-funded facility:

Call your health care provider or Medicare insurance company for an explanation or clarification of unusual or questionable Medicare charges. If you continue to have questions or concerns, contact the following offices:

Office of the U.S. Inspector General - Medicare Fraud
Hotline (800) 447-8477

This hotline is operated by the Office of the Inspector General of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, an independent federal office established to identify and eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicare and other programs.

Wyoming Attorney General's Office - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit
N. Denise Burke, Senior Assistant Attorney General
1807 Capitol Avenue
Suite 108
Cheyenne, WY 82001
(307) 635-3597; Hotline: (800) 378-0345

Suspected fraud by a recipient of Medicaid or other public assistance:

Wyoming Department of Family Services
Prosecution Recovery Investigation Collection and Enforcement Unit (PRICE)
Beverly Campbell, Manager
Hathaway Building
2300 Capital Avenue
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-5481

Fraud: Identity Theft

Federal clearinghouse for complaints by victims of identity theft:

Federal Trade Commission

• Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft Hotline: (877) ID THEFT (438-4338). This is a clearinghouse for identity theft complaint data. Trained telephone counselors provide assistance to ID theft victims.

• Online consumer complaint form - a secure database where consumers can enter complaints: www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

Federal law enforcement agencies that investigate identity theft:

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - www.fbi.gov

Social Security Administration (SSA) - www.ssa.gov
    SSA may assign you a new number if you experience ongoing problems as a result of identity theft.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - www.treas.gov/usss
    If someone has assumed your identity to commit tax fraud, call (800) 829-0433.
    If you are a victim of identity theft and are having trouble filing your correct IRS returns, call the IRS Taxpayer Advocates     
    Office at (877) 777-4778.

Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) - www.usps.gov/bwebsites/depart/inspect
    or  contact your local post office to locate the USPIS district office nearest you.
    The USPIS is the law enforcement of the U.S. Postal Service and has primary jurisdiction in all matters infringing on the 
    integrity of the U.S. mail.

Consumer Reporting Agencies (Credit Bureaus)

Report suspected fraud to all three agencies - Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union:

Equifax

P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
(800) 685-1111
www.equifax.com


To report fraud, call (800) 525-6285 or write to
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

Experian

P.O. Box 94 9
Allen, TX 75013
(888) 397-3742
www.experian.com

Trans Union

P.O. Box 1000
Chester, PA 19022
(800) 916-8800
www.tuc.com

To report fraud, call (800) 680-7289 or write to

Fraud Victim Assistance Division
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92634

State and Local Government:

Contact the attorney general's office and the local office of law enforcement of the location in which the theft occurred to report the crime.

Fraud - Financial and Internet Investment

Security and Exchange Commission (SEC)

Enforcement Complaint Center
450 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20549
(800) 732-0330
www.sec.gov

Call the SEC to find out if the company has filed an offering circular under SEC regulations.
You can also request a copy.

Wyoming Office of Secretary of State - Securities Division

State Capitol Building
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-7378
sos.wy.state/wy.us/

National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (NASD)

1735 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006-1500
(800) 289-9999
www.nasd.com

    NASD can give you a partial disciplinary history on the broker or firm that is recommending the stock.

North American Securities Administrators Association, Inc. (NASAA)

10 G Street, NE
Suite 701
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 737-0900
www.nasaa.org

Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Three Lafayette Centre
1155 21st Street, NW
Washington, DC 20581
(202) 418-5000
www.cftc.gov

Business Practices

Scams including telemarketing, slamming, scamming, cramming, work-at-home schemes, and other illegal or questionable business activities

Better Business Bureau:

Register online complaints at www.bbb.org/complaints.company.asp

    Wyoming Better Business Bureaus

• East and Central Wyoming, Northern Colorado, and Rocky Mtn. resort communities

        BBB of the Mountain States, Inc. (Fort Collins office)
        www.rockymtn.bbb.org
        (307) 778-2809 (Wyoming complaints)

• Teton and Lincoln Counties, Wyoming, and Eastern Idaho

BBB of Eastern Idaho, Inc. (Idaho Falls office)
www.idahofalls.bbb.org

Slamming:

    Wyoming Public Service Commission - (307) 777-7427

    Federal Communications Commission (FCC) - Send a letter with a copy of your bill to

Public Service Division, Inquiry Branch,
1919 M Street, NW Room 254
Washington, D.C. 20554
(888) 225-5322 or (202) 418-0200

Insurance - Life, Health, Home, and Auto:

Consumer concerns, questions, complaints about insurance or complaints against agents in Wyoming.

Wyoming Insurance Department
Herschler Building Third Floor, East
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-7401
www.state.wy.us/~insurance/

Abuse or Harassment by Debt Collectors or Creditors:

    Federal Trade Commission (see address above)

    Wyoming Attorney General's Office - Consumer Affairs Division (see address above)

Wyoming Division of Banking
Uniform Consumer Credit Code
Herschler Building, 3 East
122 West 25^th Street
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-7797
audit.state.wy.us/banking - online complaint form

This state office investigates consumer complaints involving state-chartered financial institutions and businesses that extend credit to consumers.

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