Statutes Administered: The Business Practices Act
It provides for the identification of unfair business practices in the marketplace related to consumer transactions. It also provides a means by which the government is able to seek redress for victimized consumers and to investigate and prosecute offending businesses. Consumers can also seek redress in the courts after having been victimized by unfair business practices under the Act.
The Act regulates against unfair business practices occurring as a result of making false claims; or deceiving or misleading a consumer and taking advantage of a consumer not able to protect his/her own interests.
The Act provides for the mediation of complaints, investigation of breaches, negotiation of an assurance of voluntary compliance, application to the courts for restraining orders and orders for freezing assets and ordering the ceasing of a practice as well as application to the courts for search warrants.