Columbus, OH - At Ohio’s first statewide summit on consumer protection, Attorney General Richard Cordray today called on federal, state and local leaders and consumer interest groups to join forces in battling predatory financial practices and fraud.

The summit, attended by nearly 300 consumer advocates and activists from across the state, focused on promoting fair dealing in the marketplace and protecting consumers in challenging economic times.

“In addition to the shams, stings and hustles that have always been a shadowy element of the marketplace, today’s economic pressures and the increasing complexity of financial decisions leveraged by rapid changes in technology mean that scam artists are often way ahead of any single individual or agency,” said Cordray. “Many of the problems we face evolve rapidly and take multiple forces to combat. As a result, we need to work together by sharing information, pooling resources and offering real-time solutions.”

Toward that end, Cordray said, his office is working with the Better Business Bureau to introduce a real-time scam alert widget that will sound a real-time early warning when questionable tactics emerge in the marketplace. The widget, available at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/ScamAlertWidget, can be placed on anyone’s Web site or profile page and provides instant updates about scams as they emerge.

“We hope Ohioans will use this tool to report or ask about tactics that could be scams when they aren’t sure,” Cordray said. “It could also be an effective way for our office to track financial predators and then use the state’s robust consumer laws to stop them.”

Also, as part of the summit, the first-ever William J. Brown Consumer Protection Award was presented to Harold Williams, managing attorney of the Consumer Law Unit for the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, who Cordray noted “has dedicated his legal career to the practice of consumer law.” Williams led student loan litigation that resulted in $6 million in student loan refunds and loan forgiveness. He has been the editor and principal author for the past 14 years of Ohio Consumer Law, a publication made up of chapter contributions from leading private practitioners, judicial magistrates and public interest attorneys. It is used by Ohio attorneys and courts as a reference on Ohio’s consumer laws.

The award was created this year by Cordray to recognize the efforts of William J. Brown, who served as Ohio Attorney General from 1971 to 1983 and created the office's first Consumer Protection Section. Brown was among the state leaders instrumental in passing the Consumer Sales Practices Act in 1972. The award will be given annually to recognize one Ohioan’s dedication to consumer protection.