About the Division
The Fraud and Consumer Protection Division, led by Director Owen Lefkon, is composed of five key statewide units: Consumer Mediation, Medicaid Fraud, White Collar Crime, Investor Protection, and Consumer Protection. It is also home to the Attorney General’s Office of Impact Litigation.
Units of the Fraud & Consumer Protection Division
Consumer Mediation Unit
The Consumer Mediation Unit (CMU) runs various programs to assist Delaware consumers and homeowners. CMU also engages in informal consumer mediation and educates the public through consumer outreach education events.
Consumer Protection Unit
The Consumer Protection Unit (CPU) enforces Delaware’s consumer protection laws, safeguarding the public from fraud and scams. CPU has primary responsibility for more than two dozen civil consumer protection laws, including laws concerning consumer frauds, deceptive trade practices, antitrust, online privacy, data security, charitable and fraternal solicitations, debt management, health spas, and telemarketing. CPU also exercises the Attorney General’s common law oversight responsibility over charitable entities and chairs the DOJ’s Senior Protection Initiative. The Unit has limited enforcement authority under the landlord/tenant code and the manufactured housing code. Many people unknowingly put themselves at risk by sharing information with the wrong parties. Visit our Consumer Protection Unit for tips on how to reduce your chances of becoming a victim of fraud.
Investor Protection Unit
The Investor Protection Unit (IPU)’s primary mission is to protect investors from fraud and from unscrupulous financial professionals, as well as to regulate the securities industry in Delaware, overseeing the registration of investment firms, professionals, and securities offerings within the state. IPU also receives reports of suspected exploitation of senior citizens and vulnerable adults from financial institutions and has the authority to request that certain transactions be held pending investigation of those reports. IPU also conducts investor outreach events to prevent investors from falling victim to fraud and to promote financial literacy.
Medicaid Fraud Control Unit
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), mission is to protect Delaware’s most vulnerable citizens and the taxpayers who fund the Medicaid program. MFCU has statewide criminal jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute: Medicaid provider fraud; medication diversion; and abuse, neglect, mistreatment, theft, or financial exploitation of any patient or resident of facilities. MFCU also handles Medicaid provider fraud under the Delaware False Claims and Reporting Act.
White Collar Crime Unit
The White Collar Crime Unit investigates and enforces civil and criminal laws in matters involving: business-related crime, tax crimes, wage theft, offenses related to financial misconduct, home improvement fraud, complex financial fraud, senior financial exploitation crime, and frauds against the government. With a focus on complex financial and fraud-related crime, the Unit is also active in combating criminal fraud targeting seniors and vulnerable adult victims.
The Office of Impact Litigation
The Office of Impact Litigation is responsible for overseeing the office’s high-priority affirmative litigations utilizing outside counsel; overseeing certain high-priority multistate impact litigations; coordinating all Attorney General sign-ons to comment letters and amicus curiae briefs; managing multistate litigation joinders, which typically involve federal litigation over policy matters important to the Attorney General. The current Director if Impact Litigation is Ian Liston.
Helpful Resources
Related Topics: Attorney General, Consumer, Consumer Protection Unit, Delaware, Fraud, Fraud and Consumer Protection Division, Investor Protection Unit, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Units of the Fraud and Consumer Protection Division
