Know Your Rights. File Your Complaint.
Whether your landlord is holding your deposit hostage, a contractor vanished with your money, or a robocall sounded too real — Shield has seen this before, knows the law, and has a record of getting it resolved. Select your situation below.
Rental Disputes
Your deposit belongs to you — by law.
Landlords must return your security deposit within 21 days of move-out, with an itemized written statement for any deductions. Deductions for "normal wear and tear" are illegal. If your landlord misses the deadline or withholds without documentation, they may owe you up to twice the deposit amount in penalties — plus attorney fees.
A tenant in the Riverside district received no deposit return and no itemized statement 45 days after vacating. Landlord claimed carpet replacement and repainting without photos or receipts.
Shield issued a formal notice. Landlord returned $2,400 full deposit plus $800 statutory penalty within 14 days of our intervention.
$3,200 recoveredContractor Fraud
A handshake is not a contract. A contract protects you.
Any home improvement work over $500 requires a written contract listing the scope, timeline, and payment schedule. Contractors must be licensed and bonded in this city. Demanding full payment upfront — or abandoning a job after partial payment — are violations. You have the right to a lien waiver before final payment.
A homeowner paid $6,500 upfront for a bathroom renovation. Contractor completed 30% of work, stopped responding, and left the space non-functional for 11 weeks.
Shield filed against the contractor's bond. Homeowner received $5,200 refund and the contractor's license was suspended pending review.
$5,200 recoveredTelecom Scams
If it sounded too urgent to be real, it probably wasn't.
You cannot be legally required to pay a debt over the phone to an unknown caller. Government agencies — including the IRS, Social Security Administration, and this office — will never demand immediate payment via gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. Robocalls selling financial products without written consent are illegal. If you gave out personal information, act within 72 hours.
A 74-year-old resident received repeated calls from a number spoofing a bank, ultimately transferring $1,800 via wire under threat of "account suspension."
Shield coordinated with the city financial crimes unit and the resident's bank. $1,800 was reversed via bank fraud protocols. Caller number was reported to the FTC database.
$1,800 recoveredRetail Returns
Cancellation should take one click — the same as signup.
Under the Automatic Renewal Law, any subscription that renews automatically must clearly disclose terms before purchase and provide a simple cancellation mechanism — as easy as the original signup. Retailers must post their return policy visibly. If a store's policy wasn't disclosed at point of sale, you have a right to a full refund within 30 days regardless of their posted terms.
A resident attempted to cancel a fitness app subscription for 4 months. The app required a phone call during business hours only, with hold times exceeding 40 minutes, effectively blocking cancellation.
Shield filed a complaint with the state attorney general's consumer division. The company issued a full 6-month refund ($238) and updated their cancellation flow within 30 days.
$238 recoveredAuto Repair
You must authorize every charge before work begins.
Auto repair shops are required by law to provide a written estimate before beginning any work. They must get your authorization — in writing or recorded phone consent — before exceeding the estimate by more than 10%. Shops cannot hold your vehicle as leverage for unauthorized charges. You have the right to your old parts back upon request.
A resident brought a vehicle in for a brake inspection ($89 quoted). Final bill was $1,340 for work never verbally or written authorized. Shop refused to release the vehicle without full payment.
Shield issued a formal cease-and-hold notice. Bureau of Automotive Repair investigated. Resident paid only the original $89 estimate. Shop received a formal citation.
$1,251 dispute resolvedIdentity Theft
Shame is not part of this story. Getting it back is.
Elder financial abuse is a crime, not an embarrassment. If you or someone you know gave money or personal information to a scammer — under any circumstances — Shield can help initiate a police report, contact your financial institutions, place a fraud alert on your credit file, and connect you with legal aid. There is no minimum loss amount. There is no "too small to bother." The first 72 hours matter most.
A first-generation resident's Social Security number was used to open 3 credit accounts. By the time they noticed, $4,200 in charges had accumulated. They came to Shield unsure if they had any rights.
Shield filed an identity theft report, placed fraud alerts with all three credit bureaus, and submitted dispute letters to each creditor. All $4,200 in fraudulent charges were removed within 60 days.
$4,200 in fraudulent charges removed