American Consumer Protection Group

ACPG stands for American Consumer Protection Group Inc. We are a non-profit corporation dedicated to helping identify fraudulent companies in order to prevent them from taking advantage of consumers. ACPG also works with governmental and private agencies to make sure that appropriate action is taken.

Fraud is a legal term involving misrepresentation and unjust enrichment. ACPG will investigate all companies, but we do not unequivocally state that a company is acting fraudulently due to the legal complexities of the term. However, companies that we believe to be acting fraudulently or deceptively will be indicated by the red background of the company report. If you have questions about a specific company that we've investigated, feel free to contact us and we will provide you with additional details.

Communication with the offending company is always the first resort. After all, the company may be unaware of their transgressions or that they are harming their customers. If communication fails, ACPG will work with government agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission, and/or pursue outside legal action until the offender has been curtailed.

Reporting a potentially fraudulent business to ACPG can be done through email, telephone, or the ACPG website. Michael Shedlosky oversees investigations, and you can contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Alternatively, you can give us a call at (412) 712-7002. You can also submit your complaint about a company by clicking here.

Yes. ACPG will investigate the company fully and determine whether it's practices fall under the definitions for fraudulent or deceptive operations. We also like to hear about small companies that are acting ethically as we will post positive reports about those companies on our site. It is always better to ask us to investigate the company before you deal with them.

Because our goal is to publish the most accurate information possible, the investigation process can be very time consuming. We must wait on reports from various government agencies and conduct a full investigation, so it can sometimes take two to three months before we conclude an investigation. However, some investigations can be concluded in as short as three weeks.

In 2010, the FTC had fewer than 1,200 employees and received 3.1 million consumer complaints against businesses. They simply do not have enough time to investigate all complaints, so they have to focus on the largest frauds. However, that allows many low-scale frauds to operate for years, and people victimized by those frauds deserve to be represented. ACPG exists to close this gap.

ACPG prides itself on the transparency of it's operations. Unlike the BBB, our reports on companies include more detailed explanations of our research instead of a simple "A-F" rating. Additionally, our reports are not influenced in any manner by donations from companies under investigation.

ACPG is dependent on volunteers to continue its work. Any donations are greatly appreciated and can be submitted on the ‘Donate’ page of acpg.org. Alternatively, you can send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and someone will contact you within 24 hours to answer any questions you may have. If you wish to volunteer for ACPG, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Yes, ACPG received it's 501(c)(3) approval letter in February, 2011. Click here for a copy of the letter.

Yes. Because ACPG is a 501(c)(3) organization, financial contributions can be claimed on your federal income tax return. For more information about claiming donations, please see http://www.irs.gov/charities/contributors/index.html.

IRS CIRCULAR 230 DISCLOSURE: Pursuant to requirements imposed by the Internal Revenue Service, any tax advice contained in this communication is not intended to be used, for purposes of avoiding penalties imposed under the Internal Revenue Code or promoting, marketing, or recommending to another person any tax-related matter.