The Alberta Government released data today (November 23rd) from their investigations into breach of consumer protection and tenancy laws from the 2016-2017 Fiscal Year.

Minister of Service Alberta, Stephanie McLean, says their investigative team closed 618 cases, with over $950,000 paid back to Alberta consumers.

The investigations also led to $272,000 of fines handed out to businesses, individuals and other services for offenses including misleading consumers and failing to refund customers.

McLean says that they're still receiving complaints of people selling energy products door to door.

"It's been nearly a year since our ban on door to door sales of energy products and contracts came into effect on January 1st. Since then we have closed 129 investigations."

Some of the other fines and charges that were handed out from the investigations were the first of it's kind for Service Alberta. One charge was given for an illegal interest rate on a pay day loan, while another conviction was handed to a Fort McMurray landlord who raised a tenant's rent during the town's Rent Freeze during the wildfires.

Other charges and fines were handed out to home renovation companies for failing to complete the work assigned, not refunding customers and in some cases acting without a business license.

Several breaches of the Residential Tenancy Act were also investigated with offenses relating to unlawful rent hikes and illegal evictions.

McLean says many of the companies they've found that are scamming customers are not even from the Province.

"A lot of these individuals are fly by night. A lot of them are out of province and many are out of country. They'll come in through the American border or flights into Canada, they'll stay for six months, they'll engage in this work, they'll scam people out of money and then they'll take off."

McLean says the government is aware of many businesses finding loopholes around the rules, and hopes to have more restrictions presented to the Legislature by next fall.

According to the data from Service Alberta, this year was lower when it came to total fines and repayments. Last year individuals and businesses were fined $996,000 and ordered to repay $1.1 Million.

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