By Samantha Paul A charge for a service that was never delivered can be hard enough to challenge. When the seller ignores repeated messages, consumers may need help beyond the company’s customer-service desk. Illinois residents can report suspected fraud and unfair business practices to the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, which also operates an informal dispute-resolution program.
The office does not act as a private law firm or guarantee that a business will return money. This guide explains how to reach the correct Illinois office, submit a meaningful complaint, and understand what the state may do with the information.
Who Is the Current Attorney General of Illinois?
As of October 15, 2026, Kwame Raoul is the Attorney General of Illinois. He is the state’s 42nd attorney general, first sworn in during January 2019, and began his second term on January 9, 2023. He previously served in the Illinois Senate and worked as a prosecutor and private attorney.
The office represents the state in legal matters and enforces laws affecting consumers, workers, civil rights, public health, and other statewide interests. Its Consumer Fraud Bureau can assist with certain marketplace disputes, but attorneys on its staff cannot represent an individual resident in a private lawsuit.
Illinois Attorney General Contact Numbers
Illinois has regional consumer hotlines and three principal office locations. Calling the correct unit can prevent unnecessary transfers.
- Consumer Fraud Helpline, Chicago: 1-800-386-5438 — suspected consumer fraud or business disputes.
- Consumer Fraud Helpline, Springfield: 1-800-243-0618 — central and downstate consumer assistance.
- Consumer Fraud Helpline, Carbondale: 1-800-243-0607 — southern Illinois consumer assistance.
- Spanish-language consumer helpline: 1-866-310-8398.
- Health Care Helpline: 1-877-305-5145 — insurance, billing, and provider-related consumer concerns.
- Chicago main office: (312) 814-3000 — general office inquiries.
- Springfield main office: (217) 782-1090 — statewide office inquiries.
- Workplace Rights Helpline: 1-844-740-5076 — workplace-law concerns requiring a different complaint path.
The office also publishes a 7-1-1 relay option for people with hearing or speech disabilities. Official contact page: https://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/contact/
Illinois Attorney General Office Address
- Springfield: Office of the Illinois Attorney General, 500 South Second Street, Springfield, IL 62701.
- Chicago: Office of the Illinois Attorney General, 115 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL 60603.
- Carbondale: Office of the Illinois Attorney General, 1745 Innovation Drive, Suites C & D, Carbondale, IL 62903.
For a paper consumer complaint, the office instructs residents to send a completed form with supporting copies to its Consumer Fraud Bureau in Springfield or Chicago. General constituent correspondence can be addressed to the Chicago office’s Constituent Services unit. Do not assume an ordinary letter automatically enters the consumer-complaint workflow.
How to File a Complaint With the Illinois Attorney General
Step 1: Open the consumer fraud complaint page
Go to https://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/file-a-complaint/consumer/. The state prefers online submissions and also provides printable forms in English, Spanish, and Polish. Use the consumer fraud option for suspected misleading sales, undelivered purchases, disputed repairs, or deceptive business conduct.
Step 2: Select the appropriate complaint program
A hospital bill or health insurance dispute can go through the separate Health Care Bureau, which also offers informal dispute resolution. Workplace rights, civil rights, charities, franchises, and disability rights have dedicated paths on the state’s main complaint page. A consumer sales form is not the best choice for every kind of grievance.
Step 3: Document the transaction and previous attempts
Provide your full contact details and the seller’s name, address, and telephone number. Explain what you bought, the amount paid, the date of purchase, the representations you relied upon, and the company’s response to your requests for assistance. Add copies of contracts, receipts, advertisements, warranties, bank records, and email exchanges. Keep the originals.
Step 4: Review what may be shared
The state’s form allows complaint information to be forwarded to the business when appropriate and to other enforcement agencies. The printable form includes an option asking the office not to send the complaint to the business. Read this carefully, particularly if the allegations contain sensitive personal details; limiting disclosure could also affect opportunities for informal resolution.
Step 5: Submit and keep a complete copy
Submit through the official online option or print and mail the completed form to the Consumer Fraud Bureau. Save your narrative, relevant attachments, and any acknowledgement you receive. If you need clarification before filing, contact one of the regional fraud helplines rather than sending repeated duplicate complaints.
What Happens After You File a Complaint?
The Consumer Fraud Bureau reviews complaints and may offer informal mediation, seek a business response, refer a matter to another agency, or use the information to identify patterns of unlawful conduct. The Illinois Attorney General can bring enforcement cases in the public interest, but a submitted complaint alone does not guarantee a formal investigation, a refund, or a lawsuit.
Complaint records may be subject to requests under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Official guidance says identifying information that would reveal the complainant’s identity is exempt from disclosure in copies released in response to such requests. Residents considering their own legal claim should still monitor filing deadlines and obtain private legal assistance when necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I ask the Illinois office not to forward my complaint to the business?
The downloadable consumer complaint form provides an option requesting that the complaint not be sent to the business. Use it when appropriate, but understand that the office may need to communicate allegations to a business to attempt informal mediation. Contact the Consumer Fraud Bureau if you have a particular safety or confidentiality concern.
Q. Will an Illinois FOIA request reveal my name as the complainant?
The office says consumer complaint forms are public records, but identifying information that would reveal a complainant’s identity is exempt from disclosure and redacted when required. This is not a promise that all submitted material stays confidential. Avoid sending sensitive records unrelated to the dispute.
Q. Where should I report a medical-billing or health-insurance problem?
Illinois operates a dedicated Health Care Bureau and a toll-free Health Care Helpline at 1-877-305-5145. Use its health care complaint process instead of assuming that a general consumer fraud form will reach the team most familiar with providers, claims, or health plans.
Q. Can the Attorney General sue a company only to get my personal refund?
No. The office’s enforcement lawsuits protect the wider public interest, not one resident’s private claim. Informal assistance may help resolve a dispute, but an individual seeking damages may also need to use a payment dispute, small claims process, or private attorney.