Turn on more accessible mode
Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content
Turn off Animations
Sign In
Skip to main content Open accessibility information page
Alert
On January 16, 2024, Governor Phil Murphy signed the New Jersey Data Privacy Law, P.L. 2023, c. 266. The law went into effect on January 15, 2025. Please click on this Frequently Asked Questions link to learn more about the new law and your rights under it.
Alert
On January 8, 2024, Governor Murphy signed into law P.L. 2023, c. 237, which, among other things: amended the Contractors’ Business Registration Act (“CBRA,” formerly the “Contractors’ Registration Act”), N.J.S.A. 56:8-136 et seq., and created the “Home Improvement and Home Elevation Contractor Licensing Act,” N.J.S.A. 45:5AAA-1 et seq. For more information on the registration requirements for contractors and businesses under these laws, click here.
Alert
On July 10, 2024, Governor Murphy signed into law the Real Estate Consumer Protection Enhancement Act, P.L. 2024, c.32, which, among other things, requires sellers of residential property located in New Jersey to use the "Seller's Property Condition Disclosure Statement" ("Disclosure Statement," questions 1 through 108).

Additionally, on July 3, 2023, Governor Murphy signed into law P.L. 2023, c.93, which, among other things, requires sellers of all real property located in New Jersey to make certain additional disclosures concerning flood risks on the "Disclosure Statement." On July 15, 2024, the Division published a "Flood Risk Addendum" to the Disclosure Statement (questions 109 through 117), which includes the additional disclosures concerning flood risks.

As a result of these two laws, effective August 1, 2024:
  • Sellers of residential property must complete the Disclosure Statement (questions 1 through 108). A copy of the Disclosure Statement is available here; and
  • All sellers of real property, both residential and non-residential, must complete the Flood Risk Addendum to the Disclosure Statement (questions 109 through 117). A copy of the Flood Risk Addendum is available here.

The Division has created an instruction sheet with additional information regarding the use of these forms. The forms linked above supersede any forms previously posted by the Division, including, but not limited to, the "Amended Disclosure Statement" posted on December 21, 2023.

Press Release

For Immediate Release:
March 9, 2017

Office of The Attorney General
Christopher S. Porrino, Attorney General

Division of Consumer Affairs
Steve C. Lee, Director
  For Further Information and Media Inquiries:
Lisa Coryell, 973-504-6327
C John Schoonejongen, 973-504-6327

National Consumer Protection Week: Beware of Fake Charities Soliciting Your Donations, Including Social Media Charity Scams That Play on Your Emotions

NEWARK - Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs today continued the commemoration of National Consumer Protection Week by reminding consumers to exercise caution when donating to disaster relief funds, crowdfunding campaigns, and other charitable causes promoted on social media.

“With sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter providing millions of users with images and stories of human suffering, the urge to donate can become overwhelming. No one understands this better than the con artists,” said Attorney General Porrino. “Criminals are constantly looking for ways to prey on the generosity of others and social media sites are prime hunting ground for them. Would-be donors must beware of scammers playing on their emotions for a profit.”

“Social media makes it easy to get swept up in a cause, whether it’s raising money for disaster victims or funding life-saving surgery for someone in a crowdfunding campaign,” said Steve Lee, Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “Before consumers open their wallets, they should do some research to make sure their money is going to a legitimate cause, not into the pocket of a criminal.”

To avoid getting taken by phony causes and charities, consumers should follow these steps before donating:

  • Don’t Assume All Crowdfunding Requests Are Legitimate – Need-based campaigns on GoFundMe and other personal fundraising websites present compelling stories from people asking for help with veterinary bills, accommodations for a sick child, or unexpected setbacks. Before donating to someone’s cause-related campaign, do your best to verify that the campaign is legitimate.
  • Verify the Legitimacy of Charitable Organizations – Make sure the organization you are considering supporting is a bona fide charity. If you aren't sure, ask for the organization's EIN (Employment Identification Number) and then check with a charity watchdog organization like Charity Navigator to confirm its status.
  • Find Out How Your Money Will Be Spent - Learn about the charity's stated mission, and exactly it plans to use your money. Ask for literature and read it. Honest charities encourage you to ask questions.
  • Make Sure Charities Soliciting in New Jersey are Registered - To verify the status of a New Jersey Charity contact the Division's Charities Hotline at (973) 504-6215 or visit its online Directory of Registered Charities. You can confirm whether a charity is registered or is exempt from registration requirements. (Certain religious or educational organizations, and those that raise less than $10,000 in a calendar year, are exempt from the registration requirement). 
  • Beware of Post-Disaster Solicitations – When tragedy strikes, people are eager to donate money to help the victims. Scammers are quick to cash in on this. Be especially cautious when responding to e-mail and telephone solicitations seeking money for victims of a recent tragedy. These methods of solicitation are often used by fraudsters looking to make a quick buck.  
  • Delete Unsolicited E-Mails Seeking Charitable Donations – Don’t open email attachments, even if they claim to contain video or photographs. The attachments may contain viruses designed to steal personal financial information from your computer.
  • Avoid Cash Donations if Possible – Pay by credit card, or write a check directly to the charity.  Do not make checks payable to individuals; make checks payable only to those organizations that you have independently verified.
  • Make Sure Online Donations Are Secure – Online transactions can be intercepted by hackers and identity thieves. Make sure your contributions are going through a secure website by looking for the ‘https://” connection in the address bar.  Make online transactions only after you are convinced a charity is legitimate.
  • Be Wary of Providing Personal or Financial Information – Even when donating to charities that you've confirmed are legitimate, the information you provide should be limited to what is needed to process your donation.  

Consumers are urged to report suspicious solicitations to their local police and to the Division of Consumer Affairs at 1-800-242-5846 (toll free within New Jersey) or 973-504-6200.
 
Consumers who believe they have been cheated or scammed by a business, or suspect any other form of consumer abuse, can file an online complaint with the State Division of Consumer Affairs by visiting its website or by calling one of the numbers referenced above.

 

###

 

Last Modified: 3/10/2017 5:31 AM

Division

Department

State

Legal

RSS

Sign up for New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs RSS feeds to get the latest information. You can select any category that you are interested in, and any time the website is updated you will receive a notification.

More information about RSS feeds.

Copyright © 2022 State of New Jersey.

OPRA Logo