Consumer Protection

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a consumer alert following the Governor’s declaration of a state of emergency in response to the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County. The Palisades Fire has burned over 1,200 acres, threatening structures, homes, and critical infrastructure, including power lines and water tanks. The fire and ongoing windstorm conditions have prompted evacuation orders and warnings and impacted the access route to the Palisades Highlands community. In today’s alert, Attorney General Bonta reminds all Californians that price gouging during a state of emergency is illegal under Penal Code Section 396. Californians who believe they have been the victim of price gouging should report it to their local authorities or to the Attorney General at oag.ca.gov/report. To view a list of all price gouging restrictions currently in effect as a result of proclamations by the Governor, please see here.

“As high winds and dry conditions increase the intensity of the Palisades Fire, I urge Southern Californians to listen to communication from officials and keep safe. California’s price gouging law protects people impacted by an emergency from illegal price gouging on housing, gas, food, and other essential supplies,” said Attorney General Bonta. “If you see price gouging — or if you've been the victim of it — I encourage you to immediately file a complaint with my office online at oag.ca.gov/report or contact your local police department or sheriff’s office.”

California law generally prohibits charging a price that exceeds, by more than 10%, the price a seller charged for an item before a state or local declaration of emergency. For items a seller only began selling after an emergency declaration, the law generally prohibits charging a price that exceeds the seller's cost of the item by more than 50%. This law applies to those who sell food, emergency supplies, medical supplies, building materials, and gasoline. The law also applies to repair or reconstruction services, emergency cleanup services, transportation, freight and storage services, hotel accommodations, and rental housing. Exceptions to this prohibition exist if, for example, the price of labor, goods, or materials has increased for the business. 

Violators of the price gouging statute are subject to criminal prosecution that can result in a one-year imprisonment in county jail and/or a fine of up to $10,000. Violators are also subject to civil enforcement actions including civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation, injunctive relief, and mandatory restitution. The Attorney General and local district attorneys can enforce the statute.

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today, alongside the U.S. Department of Justice and a bipartisan coalition of 10 attorneys general, filed an amended complaint against RealPage and the nation’s largest property management companies for maintaining an unlawful pricing alignment scheme that artificially raised rents and increased rent revenue across the board. Today’s amended complaint names five of the previously unnamed property management companies as defendants — including Camden, Cushman & Wakefield/Pinnacle, LivCor, Willow Bridge and Greystar — and seeks claims under California’s Unfair Competition Law against all defendants. Last August, the Attorney General filed a lawsuit against RealPage, alleging that its unlawful pricing alignment scheme and illegal sharing of confidential pricing and supply information harmed consumers by decreasing competition among landlords, limiting price negotiation, and increasing prices in the rental housing industry. This price alignment scheme affected rental housing throughout the country including in California —especially in multifamily buildings in Southern California including in Orange County, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Glendale, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ontario, Corona, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Temecula, Murrieta, San Diego, Coronado, and Carlsbad.

“When it comes reducing the cost of living for Californians, the California Department of Justice is all in. Today’s amended complaint against RealPage and some of the largest property management companies in the country, alleges that the companies artificially inflated rent prices and illegally maintained a minimum pricing floor against market trends, and that not only RealPage, but the landlords that profited from this scheme must be held accountable,” said Attorney General Bonta. “If you are in the renting business you are responsible for knowing and abiding by California laws. The housing affordability crisis hurts renters and those with the lowest incomes the hardest; the profits from these illegal schemes come out of the pockets of the people that can least afford it. California is stronger when we protect tenants and a competitive economy."

RealPage is in the business of generating rent increases and growing revenue for landlords by using algorithmic models to recommend price increases to subscribers. It does so by amassing competitively sensitive data from competing landlords through its pricing algorithms and sharing this data among subscribers. Landlords understand that their nonpublic data will be used to recommend prices not just for their own units, but also for competitors who use the programs, and agree to provide this information because they understand they will benefit from the information of their rivals. In other words, RealPage knows what competing landlords are charging and can increase profits for landlords by using that information to recommend landlords set or raise their prices uniformly, thereby eliminating competition, and leaving renters no choice but to pay artificially high prices.

Over the last four decades, housing needs have significantly outpaced housing production in California. Housing costs have skyrocketed, making it harder for Californians to keep a roof over their heads. California's 17 million renters spend a significant portion of their paychecks on rent, with an estimated 700,000 Californians at risk of eviction.    

The amended lawsuit filed today alleges that RealPage, Camden, Cushman & Wakefield/Pinnacle, LivCor, Willow Bridge and Greystar’s conduct violates both federal antitrust laws and California’s Unfair Competition Law. 

In filing the amended lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta joins the U.S. Department of Justice and the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington.

The amended complaint can be found here. 

 Most of landmark child online safety law will take effect on January 1, 2025  

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a statement in response to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California’s decision denying in large part Big Tech’s attempt to stop Senate Bill (SB) 976 from going into effect on January 1, 2025. Also known as the “Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act,” SB 976 interrupts the ability of social media companies and other website operators to use addictive algorithmic feeds, notifications, and other addictive design features to trick and hook children and teens to spend hours and hours on their platforms. 

“There is mounting evidence showing the devastating toll that social media addiction can have on our children's mental health and well-being. This addiction is not an accident; it is fed by algorithms deployed by Big Tech,” said Attorney General Bonta. “California’s landmark law allows young people to intentionally develop the relationship they want with social media, rather than the relationship that is most profitable for companies using tricks and traps to glue young people’s eyes to their screens. We are pleased the court understands the importance of giving California families this choice.”

Although the court today upheld most of SB 976, it blocked two portions of SB 976 from taking effect tomorrow on free speech grounds — this aspect of the decision is erroneous because no part of SB 976 regulates speech. The California Department of Justice will continue to vigorously defend this law in court and remains confident in the commonsense statute enacted by both Democrats and Republicans, and supported by teachers, public health professionals, and parents in California.

A copy of the decision can be found here. 

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced settlements with tenant screening company, RealPage, and property developer and manager, Holland (formally known as Holland Residential (California)), for violations of the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act (Tenant Relief Act). The complaints allege that RealPage provided screening reports to housing providers, including Holland, which identified rental debt accrued due to the COVID-19 pandemic as a negative factor in violation of the Tenant Relief Act, and that many applicants were denied housing as a result. As part of the proposed settlements, RealPage must pay $625,000 in penalties and restitution, and both RealPage and Holland must comply with strong injunctive terms.

“As California navigates an unprecedented housing crisis, it’s critical that those most at risk of losing their homes are afforded the rental protections they deserve. COVID-19 rental debt cannot be used against tenants when they apply for housing,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Our settlements against RealPage and Holland underscore the responsibility that screening agencies and landlords hold in making sure they fully comply with California law. As the People’s Attorney, I am committed to using the full force of my office to ensure more Californians have access to safe and secure housing.”

In response to the pandemic, California enacted a series of emergency bills, collectively known as the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act, to stabilize the housing market. These provided significant eviction protections to tenants, including creating restrictions on credit reporting and use of COVID-19 rental debt in rental screening. The Tenant Relief Act prohibits any housing provider, tenant screening company, or other entity that evaluates tenants on behalf of a housing provider from using COVID-19 rental debt as a negative factor in assessing a residential tenant application. 

RealPage violated the Tenant Relief Act by considering COVID-19 rental debt as a negative factor when screening over 2,500 tenant applicants in California, including several that were performed for Holland. As a result of the investigation by the California Department of Justice, RealPage and Holland have now modified their screening processes to ensure that they filter out COVID-19 rental debt. 

Under the settlements today, RealPage must pay $625,000 in penalties and restitution, and both RealPage and Holland must comply with strong injunctive terms, including, but not limited, to:  

• Regularly confirming the existence of proper filters for COVID-19 rental data with their data sources or filtering the data themselves, before using it in any tenant screening process.
• Tracking consumer disputes and reporting systemic issues to the Office of the Attorney General.
• Taking steps to investigate claims that a screening report may have contained COVID-19 rental debt and to ensure eligible tenants are not denied housing.
• Providing annual training to their employees regarding requirements under the Tenant Relief Act and related consumer reporting laws.
• Complying with the provisions of the Tenant Relief Act.

Attorney General Bonta is committed to ensuring tenants are treated fairly in accordance with the law and understand their rights. In October 2024, Attorney General Bonta issued consumer alerts regarding the maximum annual rent increase permitted under state law and summarizing several local rent control or rent stabilization laws throughout California. Alerts are available in various languages and can be found here.  

In August 2024, Attorney General Bonta, alongside the U.S. Department of Justice, filed a lawsuit against RealPage, alleging the company enabled landlords to artificially raise rents by participating in a pricing alignment scheme that increased prices in the rental housing industry. This lawsuit is ongoing and is unrelated to today’s settlement. 

In February 2024, Attorney General Bonta announced a settlement with two separate local Bakersfield landlords and their property management company, Clemmer & Company, for multiple violations of the Tenant Protection Act and for violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act. Also in February 2024, Attorney General Bonta issued five consumer alerts advising California tenants of their rights and protections under state law and alerting property managers and landlords of their obligations to tenants. In January 2024, Attorney General Bonta announced a settlement with Invitation Homes resolving its alleged violations of the Tenant Protection Act and California’s anti-price gouging law, affecting approximately 1,900 households.

A copy of the complaints and proposed judgments against RealPage and Holland Residential (California) can be found here, here, here, and here, respectively.  

Submit claims online by January 8, 2025

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today reminded California residents who purchased gas in Southern California between February 20, 2015 and November 10, 2015 to submit a claim for a payment under the state’s antitrust settlement with gas trading firms for tampering with and manipulating prices for California gasoline. The deadline to submit claims is January 8, 2025. Eligible Californians may submit a claim online at www.CalGasLitigation.com.

“California, don’t forget to claim your money! When companies conspire to unlawfully raise prices for consumers, my office steps in, just as we did with our litigation and settlement against two gas trading firms,” said Attorney General Bonta. “As part of this settlement, I am proud to deliver money back to Californians who may have been impacted by gas price manipulation. I urge eligible drivers to submit a claim by January 8, 2025.”

In July 2024, Attorney General Bonta announced a $50 million settlement with gas trading firms, resolving allegations that Vitol, Inc. and SK Energy Americas, Inc., along with its parent company SK Trading International, secretly worked together to tamper with and manipulate spot market prices for California gasoline. If you purchased gasoline in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Kern, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and/or Imperial counties in California between February 20 and November 10, 2015, you may be eligible for a payment. The Attorney General's settlement is in addition to a settlement of a private class action lawsuit filed in federal court.  

To submit a claim, learn full details about your rights and options, and access frequently asked questions, visit www.CalGasLitigation.com. 

Antitrust enforcement is an essential component of a healthy economy. Competitive marketplaces established through antitrust vigilance help consumers by ensuring fair prices for goods and services, an array of products to choose from, quality goods and services, and the steady introduction of innovative new products. As part of the Attorney General’s commitment to enforce antitrust laws, the California Department of Justice recently launched a new Antitrust Complaint Form. Please click here to report anticompetitive conduct that potentially violates the antitrust laws.

SAN FRANCISCO – Today in San Francisco, California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined GLIDE to share tips and resources on how to donate safely and avoid scams while giving this holiday season. The Attorney General has primary regulatory oversight of charities and the professional fundraisers who solicit on their behalf, and may investigate and bring legal action against charities that misuse charitable assets or engage in fraudulent fundraising practices. In providing today’s tips, Attorney General Bonta encourages donors to take the necessary steps to ensure that their donations get into the correct hands.

“As a proud Bay Area resident, I’m grateful for the opportunity to join GLIDE in giving back this holiday season,” said Attorney General Bonta. “For more than 50 years, GLIDE has been deeply rooted in the Tenderloin community, providing free meals, childcare, housing assistance, and other support – with the goal of creating, sustainable long-term pathways for residents to get back on their feet. I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to the GLIDE staff and volunteers who make this vital work possible and for their partnership today in providing valuable charity tips during the annual time of giving. I encourage Californians to do their research to ensure their donations go where they intended. If you believe that a charity or fundraiser is engaged in misconduct, please report it to my office at oag.ca.gov/charities/complaints.”

"GLIDE cares for our community by providing meals, rental assistance, health resources, childcare, supportive programs and more,” said Dr. Gina Fromer, President & CEO of GLIDE. “We couldn’t carry out our love agenda for the people of San Francisco without the amazing generosity of our donors. We appreciate the Attorney General and his staff for ensuring that everyone’s holiday donations end up where they belong.”

Tips on How to Donate Safely and Avoid Charity Fraud

• Check the Registration Status: Charities and professional fundraisers soliciting donations in California are required to register with the Attorney General’s Registry of Charities and Fundraisers (Registry). They are also required to file annual financial reports. Before you donate, make sure to confirm that the charity is registered and up to date with its financial reporting. Our registry search tool allows you to search the Registry’s database and verify whether a charitable organization or fundraiser has complied with the Attorney General’s registration and reporting requirements.
• Give to Organizations You Trust: Always do your research before making a donation. Review the charity’s annual financial reports to find out how much of your donation will actually be spent on the charitable cause, as well as how much, or if any, will go to overhead and employee compensation. Research charities in your community and support those that make a positive impact.
• Don’t Be Pressured by Telemarketers: If you receive a call from a telemarketer, do not fall for pressure tactics or threats. Remember, you have the right to decline a donation request and can hang up. If you are interested in donating to a particular organization, you can visit their website or contact them directly to get more information.
• Be Cautious of "Look-Alike" and Fake Websites and Emails: Be on the lookout for websites and emails that use slightly different web addresses (URLs) or email addresses in order to pass off as a legitimate charity. Scammers sometimes purchase these types of URLs or create fake email accounts in order to trick potential donors into donating to a look-alike website or steal your information. Be careful of fake websites by closely looking at the web address, and be cautious of web addresses that end in a series of numbers.
• Watch Out for Similar-Sounding Names and Other Deceptive Tactics: Some organizations use names that closely resemble those of well-established charitable organizations in order to mislead donors. Additionally, if you receive an email from an organization to which you have never donated, take extra precautions before clicking on any links. Be skeptical if someone thanks you for a pledge or donation that you never made, as scammers use this trick to deceive you into paying them. If you are unsure whether or not you made a donation, make sure to check your records.
• Be Alert to Fundraising via Peer-to-Peer Social Network: Do not assume charitable fundraising that you see on social media are legitimate, even if the charitable campaign is shared by someone that you trust. If you plan to donate through a social network solicitation, do your research and find out whether your donation is going directly to a charity or to the person who created the campaign, whether the person who created the campaign will keep a portion of your donation, or if you will be charged a fee for donating.
• Protect Your Identity: Never give your Social Security number, credit card information, or other personal identifiable information in response to a charitable solicitation. Some organizations may sell or rent their donor lists to other organizations, including organizations that are not charities. Before making a donation, review the charity’s privacy policy to find out if your information will be shared with outside companies.
• Be Careful When Making Electronic Donations: Electronic donations — such as donations made via text, QR Codes, and portable credit card readers — have become common practice due to their ability to provide a quick and easy way to donate on the spot. While convenient, remember that anyone can create a QR code, send a text, or buy a portable card reader. Always confirm that the solicitation was submitted by a charity, or that the person facilitating the transaction is authorized to receive donations on behalf of a charity. Always check your receipt and your credit card/online payment method statement to ensure that the transaction charged to your account is accurate.

For more information on how to protect yourself against charity fraud, visit our donation tips webpage at oag.ca.gov/donations.

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today urged Californians to beware of package delivery text message scams. These messages often state that there’s an issue with your delivery and include a link to “resolve” the problem. Package delivery scams can occur more frequently over the gift giving season, when holiday shopping is in full swing.

“The gift giving season is in full swing, and with it, comes a parade of package deliveries. Scammers can take this opportunity to use fake delivery text messages and fraudulent links to steal consumers money or personal information,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I urge Californians to beware of these scams, avoid clicking on unexpected text message links, and slow down — scammers prey on urgency.”

Follow these tips to protect yourself:

Be Suspicious of Unexpected Messages. Ignore unsolicited text messages, emails, or phone calls claiming issues with a package delivery. 

Don’t Click the Link! Never click on links from unknown senders or emails claiming to be from a delivery company. Instead, go to the official carrier website and enter your tracking number directly.

Be Skeptical of Payment Requests. Delivery companies do not ask for payment to release a package or correct a delivery error. Any such request is a scam.

Look for Red Flags. Scammers often use words like "urgent action required" to pressure you into clicking a link. Be cautious if the message lacks personalization (e.g., "Dear Customer") or contains spelling or grammar errors.

Enable Package Alerts. Sign up for alerts from trusted carriers like UPS, FedEx, or USPS. These alerts will notify you of package updates directly from the source. 

Monitor Your Financial Accounts. Regularly check your bank and credit card statements for unauthorized transactions, especially after suspecting a scam.

If you receive a suspicious message you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission here and the Federal Bureau of Investigation here. If you believe you’ve received a text message scam, you can report it to your wireless provider, including by forwarding them to the number 7726 or “SPAM”.

Merger would have further squeezed the pockets of grocery shoppers

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a statement after Albertsons announced it was terminating its $24.6 billion merger with Kroger. Kroger and Albertsons are the largest supermarket chains in the country, and the proposed merger presented a significant risk of reduced competition and higher food prices nationwide, especially in Southern California. In February 2024, Attorney General Bonta joined the Federal Trade Commission and a bipartisan coalition of states in filing a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Portland to challenge the proposed merger. Today’s announcement follows a court decision yesterday halting the proposed merger. 

“As the fifth largest economy in the world, California has an outsized responsibility in ensuring business practices are fair and competitive, and this week, we’ve delivered. Corporate consolidation means big profits for corporations out of the pockets of California consumers and our local economies. The end of the proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger is a tremendous victory for grocery shoppers, workers, and businesses who compete fairly,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I am proud of the work my office has done in collaboration with the Federal Trade Commission and remain steadfast in my commitment to economic justice and protecting an economy where both businesses and families can thrive.”

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a coalition of 14 attorneys general in sending a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in support of rules that would require internet, cable, voice, and broadcast satellite providers to improve customer service calls and access to live agents, allowing for a better and more informed consumer experience.

 “Customer service allows consumers to dispute charges, voice concerns, and ensure businesses are held accountable for providing fair treatment and quality products,” said Attorney General Bonta. “As more functions of our lives move online, internet, cable, and broadcast satellite services become essential for Californians; consumers must have quality and easy ways to access help and remedy if they have issues with services. I am proud today, and every day, to advocate for fairness and accessibility for California consumers.”

In the letter, the attorneys general advocate for the adoption of rules that would help consumers more efficiently resolve issues, avoid unnecessary charges, and make informed choices regarding the services that they receive from internet, cable, voice, and broadcast satellite providers.

The proposed rules include:  

• Automatic credit for service outages 
• Minimum training for customer service representatives 
• Extending service times outside normal business hours 
• Prohibition of service fees to skip waiting times
• Extending certain existing cable-service requirements, like the mandated use of live representatives, to broadcast satellite providers, voice-service providers, and broadband-service providers

Attorney General Bonta believes every Californian can benefit from economic growth and consumer protections and is committed to enforcing the laws that safeguard California consumers, advocating for stronger protections, and informing consumers of their rights.

In sending the letter, Attorney General Bonta was joined by the Attorneys General of Pennsylvania, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.

To read the letter in its entirety, please see here.

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a bipartisan coalition of 51 attorneys general in sending warning letters to four telecom companies for transmitting suspected illegal robocall traffic on their networks, including robocalls that impersonated government officials or involved scams related to auto warranty, tech support, utilities, the IRS or Social Security Administration, or other scams. Advances in technology have allowed illegal and spoofed robocalls to be made more cheaply, easily, and from anywhere in the world. Today’s announcement is the latest in a large effort to protect California consumers from illegal robocalls.

“The robocalls that disrupt our lives and bombard us with never ending voicemails aren’t just annoying, in many cases they are illegal and a vehicle for harmful scams,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I am proud to join in this national, bipartisan effort to protect consumers from unwanted robocalls and the risk of financial harm.” 

In the warning letter, Attorney General Bonta and the attorneys general on the nationwide Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force (Task Force) warn KWK Communications, Inc.; Inbound Communications, Inc.; AKA Management, Inc.; and CallVox LLC that they need to stop transmitting any unlawful call traffic immediately, as they violate state and federal laws. If these providers continue to transmit robocalls, the Task Force may pursue further legal actions against these companies and their owners. In the warning letters, the Task Force also informs the providers that it has shared the findings of its investigations with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which will consider appropriate next steps. 

The Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force of 51 bipartisan attorneys general investigates and takes legal action against those responsible for routing significant volumes of illegal robocall traffic into and across the United States.

Attorney General Bonta is committed to enforcing consumer protections in the state of California and speaking out for consumer protections nationwide, including working to put a stop to illegal robocalls. 

In 2024, Attorney General Bonta: 

• Joined a bipartisan coalition of 47 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter to the FCC in support of its proposed rules designed to protect consumers from illegal robocalls by increasing the effectiveness of the FCC’s Robocall Mitigation Database.
• Joined the Federal Communications Commission and the Task Force in sending a warning letter to a telecom company responsible for transmitting suspected illegal robocall traffic, including robocalls that impersonated government officials. 
• Joined a coalition of 51 bipartisan attorneys general in issuing a warning letter to a company that allegedly sent New Hampshire residents scam election robocalls during the New Hampshire primary election. 
• Joined a coalition of 26 attorneys general in filing a comment letter responding to the FCC notice of inquiry related to the potential impact of emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technology on efforts to protect consumers from illegal robocalls or robotexts. 

In May 2023, Attorney General Bonta, as part of a bipartisan coalition of 49 attorneys general, announced a lawsuit against Avid Telecom for allegedly initiating and facilitating billions of unlawful robocalls that included Social Security Administration scams, Medicare scams, and employment scams. 

Copies of the letters are available here.