Illinois attorney general comes out with top consumer complaints of 2010

The attorney general in Illinois recently came out with a list that rated debt-related firms as the No. 1 business when it came to consumer complaints.

 Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a statement that many in the state were struggling financially and that those in the debt collection industry had been accused of illegal practices by many when conducting business, the Chicago Tribune reports. "The economic crisis continues to affect consumers in Illinois," Madigan said, according to the paper. "We have people who are still fighting to stay in their homes. We also have people who are struggling with a mountain of credit card debt. We have people seeking shelter from abusive and sometimes illegal collection practices." In 2010, there were more than 7,000 consumer debt complaints against Illinois companies, with the largest number of them coming against collectors for residential mortgages, followed by credit card companies and debt collection agencies that used abusive tactics. Other attorneys general have been coming out with top 10 lists of consumer complaints. Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster said that his office had received more than 2,200 complaints against debt collectors.