In 2025, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Division received over 4,000 complaints, marking a second year of increased scams and consumer grievances. Attorney General Brenna Bird released a list of the top ten reported scams and complaints affecting Iowans last year.
“Iowans should always contact our office if they think they’ve been involved in a scam or been taken advantage of by deceptive business practices,” said Attorney General Bird. “We’ve seen an increase in scammers and fraudsters preying on people they know are vulnerable, pretending to be someone they aren’t. Our office takes these offenses seriously and acts quickly. We will work with you to ensure justice is served.”
The most frequently reported complaint category was used auto sales and vehicle repairs, with 783 complaints. Issues included questionable repair recommendations and sellers reluctant to provide vehicle histories.
Imposter scams ranked second with 398 reports. These scams took forms such as fake job offers, online shopping frauds, lottery schemes, romance cons, and IRS or social security impersonations. Many were spread through texts, phone calls, emails, or social media.
Internet-related issues followed with 319 complaints involving locked or hacked accounts on social media platforms; disputes with internet service providers; data privacy concerns; malicious software; spam emails; subscription problems for dating or gaming apps; and online auction scams.
Home improvement (247 complaints) covered unfinished contractor jobs, poor workmanship, and issues around solar panel installations.
Housing and realty (244 complaints) related to rental housing problems, misleading information during real estate transactions, hidden charges in mortgages or loans, inflated appraisals, foreclosure scams, and fraudulent identities used for loan applications.
Personal goods (237 complaints) focused on difficulties purchasing food, clothing or accessories both online and in stores.
Personal services (215 complaints) included disputes with timeshare companies over undisclosed fees or rising maintenance costs as well as travel-related grievances about flight delays or cancellations. Misleading exercise-club memberships also drew reports.
Home goods & services (192 complaints) addressed faulty appliances or electronics, false advertising claims by retailers, late deliveries, and refusals to replace defective products.
Lending issues (175 complaints) involved financial institutions such as credit card companies or peer-to-peer payment apps as well as payday lenders and private student loans.
Healthcare rounded out the top ten at 151 complaints concerning health-insurance payments disputes, medical billing disagreements from hospital visits or doctor appointments, deceptive treatments and other questionable medical products.
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office investigates consumer fraud cases across these categories while seeking reimbursement for victims where possible. The office encourages Iowans who suspect they have been targeted by a scam to call 1-888-777-4590 or file a complaint online.
