Dear Friends,
When a company takes your money, they owe you the service they promised. That’s not complicated. But too many corporations seem to forget this once they’ve been paid. That’s where my Consumer Protection Division comes in.
Earlier this year, an Idahoan deposited $500,000 into their account with Coinbase, one of the nation’s largest cryptocurrency platforms. But Coinbase failed to credit the funds. For weeks, the customer called and emailed the company, trying to get answers. Each time, they were told the issue was “being elevated.” Nothing happened.
Eventually, the consumer hired an attorney who informed them to reach reached out to my office. We immediately looked into this matter and sent a letter to Coinbase directly. Within days, the company corrected the error, fully credited the account, and added a small payment for the poor customer service.
This kind of outcome should be the rule, not the exception. But some companies often count on people giving up. That’s why it matters when my office gets involved.
Not every case involves half a million dollars, but every day my office is fighting for Idaho families. Just this week, we secured a judgment and permanent injunction against SecureWatch, a home alarm security company, and its owner after they took money from Idaho consumers for home security services they never provided.
The court found that SecureWatch engaged in misleading and unconscionable business practices, including accepting payments while failing to deliver services, refusing to pay vendors, and making it difficult for consumers to cancel. As a result, they are now permanently barred from operating in Idaho’s security industry unless under strict supervision. Permanent injunctions like this are rare, but it sends a strong message that deceptive conduct will not be tolerated in our state.
Since May, we’ve made significant improvements to how the office handles consumer protection. We cleared the backlog of unresolved cases, implemented 24-hour response timelines, and strengthened our coordination with the FTC and other agencies. Our goal is fast, effective action for Idaho families.
In addition to these recent wins for Idaho families, my office has also secured over $25 million in settlements this year alone and $185 million for Idaho since becoming Attorney General. We’ve built a team that’s ready to hold bad actors accountable, whether it’s a local scam or a billion-dollar corporation.
We also take on more than 1,500 consumer complaints each year. Everything from misrepresented services to contract disputes. Most are resolved informally, but when they’re not, we pursue legal remedies. The law is on the side of Idaho families, and so is my office.
This Coinbase incident also highlights a growing problem in the cryptocurrency sector. Too many of these companies operate without real customer service, real accountability, or real transparency. That may work in some places, but it won’t work in Idaho. If these companies want to do business here, they need to operate with integrity.
These cases had a good outcome. But it’s also a reminder of why Idaho needs a strong Consumer Protection Division. Right now, my office doesn’t have the authority to do it all when it comes to protecting consumers, but while we ask the Legislature to give us those authorities, we have been doing a lot with the power we have to help Idaho families from scams and bad actors.
I’m proud of the work my team is doing to defend Idaho consumers. Always remember that a legitimate business should be responsive and willing to correct its mistakes. And if you’re not getting the answers you need, visit ReportScamsIdaho.com to file a complaint or reach out to my office directly at 208-334-2424. We’re here to help.
Best regards,
