Know Your Rights: Consumer Protection in Minnesota

Minnesota has strong laws that protect you from scams, fraud, deceptive business practices, and abusive debt collection. You have the right to fight back, and the law is on your side. Here is what you need to know.

Your Rights

1. You can sue a business that cheats you and make them pay your lawyer. Under the Private Attorney General statute ( Minn. Stat. § 8.31 ), you can bring a lawsuit against any business that uses fraud or deceptive practices. You can recover your losses, up to $25,000 per violation in damages, plus the business must pay your attorney fees if you win.

2. Businesses must show the real price up front. Under the 2025 junk fees amendment to Minn. Stat. § 325D.44 , businesses must include all mandatory fees in the listed price. Hidden “service fees” or “processing fees” added at checkout are illegal.

3. Fraud does not have to succeed for you to have a claim. Under the Consumer Fraud Act ( Minn. Stat. § 325F.69 ), a business violates the law the moment it uses deception, even if you did not lose money. If you did lose money, you can recover it.

4. Debt collectors cannot threaten or harass you. Under Minn. Stat. § 332 and federal law, collectors cannot threaten violence, use abusive language, call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., lie about what you owe, or contact you after you hire a lawyer.

5. You can make debt collectors stop calling. Send a written letter by certified mail telling the collector to stop contacting you. They must stop, except to notify you about specific legal actions like a lawsuit.

6. Your wages cannot be garnished if your income is low. Under Minn. Stat. § 571.922 , if your weekly disposable income is less than 40 times Minnesota minimum wage (about $432/week), your wages are completely protected from garnishment. Nothing can be taken.

7. All government benefits are fully exempt from creditors. Under Minn. Stat. § 550.37 , creditors cannot touch your Social Security, SSI, MFIP, SNAP, unemployment, veterans’ benefits, or workers’ compensation. These are protected even after they are deposited in your bank account.

8. Your essential property is protected from creditors. Under Minn. Stat. § 550.37 , creditors cannot take your household goods (up to $12,150), one vehicle (up to $10,000), tools of your trade (up to $12,150), retirement accounts, your homestead, or your wedding rings.

9. Exempt earnings stay protected in your bank account for 20 days. After your paycheck is deposited, a creditor cannot garnish that money for 20 days. Government benefits remain exempt no matter how long they have been in your account.

10. You have 6 years to file a consumer fraud lawsuit. The statute of limitations for consumer fraud and deceptive trade practices claims is 6 years. Do not wait — evidence is easier to gather when events are recent.

What to Do

• Stop further losses immediately. Cancel payments to the scammer. Contact your bank or credit card company to report the fraud and request a chargeback.
• Document everything. Save all emails, texts, letters, receipts, and screenshots. Write down what happened, when, and who was involved.
• Report the scam. File a complaint with the Minnesota Attorney General at 651-296-3353 (Twin Cities) or 800-657-3787 (greater Minnesota), and with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
• If a debt collector violates the law, write it down. Record the date, time, and what the collector said. Save all letters and voicemails.
• If your wages are being garnished, act fast. You usually have 10 days to file an exemption claim with the court. Check whether the garnishment amount follows the limits in Minn. Stat. § 571.922 .
• Talk to a lawyer. Many consumer protection attorneys offer free consultations and will take cases without charging you up front because the law requires the business to pay attorney fees if you win.

Key Deadlines

Deadline	What It Means
6 years	Statute of limitations for consumer fraud and deceptive trade practices lawsuits
6 years	Statute of limitations for most debt collection lawsuits — collectors may not be able to sue you on older debts
30 days	Time to dispute a debt after receiving written notice from a collector
10 days	Time to file an exemption claim after receiving a garnishment notice
20 days	How long exempt earnings stay protected in your bank account after deposit

Get Help

• Minnesota Attorney General: Consumer complaints and investigations. Call 651-296-3353 or 800-657-3787, or visit ag.state.mn.us
• FTC: Report fraud at reportfraud.ftc.gov
• 211 (United Way): Dial 2-1-1 for help finding local resources

For more detail: See our full guide on consumer protection:

Consumer Protection in Minnesota

A plain-language guide to consumer protection in Minnesota. Learn about scams, fraud, deceptive practices, debt collection limits, wage garnishment protections, and how to fight back.