Attorney General Kwame Raoul has called on service members and veterans eligible for refunds under a 2022 settlement with Harris Jewelry to submit claims by December 21. The settlement was reached between Attorney General Raoul, 17 other attorneys general, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against the national jewelry retailer.
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District ordered Harris Jewelry to reopen its portal temporarily to allow defrauded consumers to file claims for refunds. This follows a July 2022 settlement that required Harris Jewelry to cancel $21.3 million in debt for over 13,000 individuals and provide $12.8 million in refunds to more than 40,000 affected consumers. There are still over 30,000 consumers eligible for refunds from a fund exceeding $8 million.
"Service members and veterans do not deserve to be defrauded by any business," Raoul stated. "I urge any affected service members and veterans to file a claim as soon as possible before the refund portal closes Dec. 21."
Harris Jewelry allegedly misled active-duty service members and veterans by suggesting that their financing program could improve personal credit lines if they invested in its jewelry products. Instead, these individuals faced high interest rates, substantial debt, and poor-quality jewelry, which negatively impacted their credit scores. Additionally, Harris Jewelry was accused of inflating prices and adding undisclosed fees while falsely promising charitable donations to Operation Troop Aid Inc.
As part of the settlement agreement in 2022, Harris Jewelry was required to stop collecting outstanding debts, provide refunds, correct bad credit scores, and dissolve all company operations. Specifically, they ceased collecting $21,307,229 in outstanding debt from 13,426 service members and vacated judgments against 112 consumers totaling $115,335.64.
Raoul advises any eligible service member or veteran facing issues filing a claim to contact his office’s Military and Veterans’ Rights Helpline at 800-382-3000 for support.
The Military and Veterans Rights Bureau also offers presentations on service member employment rights and assistance with frauds targeting veterans. Information about future training opportunities is available via email at mvrb@ilag.gov.