ATTORNEY GENERAL MIKE MCGRATH
STATE OF MONTANA

FOR RELEASE: March 9, 2006

CONTACT: Lynn Solomon, 444-0582 or Judy Beck, 444-5774

McGrath Announces New Toll-Free Number for Office of Consumer Protection

HELENA – Attorney General Mike McGrath said Thursday that the state's Office of Consumer Protection has a new, toll-free telephone number: (800) 481-6896.

The new number is the latest of many changes the Department of Justice has made since the 2005 Montana Legislature moved consumer protection duties to the DOJ and the Attorney General's Office.

"We've updated our consumer protection Web pages, and gotten rid of the old, automated answering system," McGrath said. "Now, when consumers call during business hours, a real, live person answers the phone."

The Web pages include special sections intended for consumers and for businesses, a printable complaint form and links to other useful forms. A new "consumer alerts" page features news releases on consumer issues. For consumers who are unsure where to seek assistance, there are tables listing common problems and which agencies to contact for help.

And there is a section on the Identity Theft Passport, another new program approved by the 2005 Legislature.

For the Office of Consumer Protection home page: www.doj.mt.gov/consumer/default.asp
For the OCP consumers' page: www.doj.mt.gov/consumer/consumer/default.asp
For the OCP business page: www.doj.mt.gov/consumer/business/default.asp