Updated: January 2013

Nelson Santiago

Community Outreach Manager

Nelson Santiago has worked in the field of consumer protection since the early 1990s. He first joined Consumer Action in 1993 as coordinator of the group's consumer assistance and referral hotline in San Francisco.

In this position, Santiago provided assistance to thousands of consumers in English and Spanish, helping them understand their rights and directing them to appropriate complaint handling agencies. Santiago’s direct contact with consumers allowed him to identify trends as they emerged and to warn the public about new scams.

Santiago also conducted research for Consumer Action’s credit card, bank account, and phone service rate surveys.

Santiago, who left Consumer Action several years ago to investigate complaints against attorneys at the State Bar of California, returned to work at the organization in 2006. As a Consumer Outreach Manager based in Consumer Action’s Los Angeles office, Santiago educates communities on a variety of issues, including: banking basics, building and rebuilding credit, identity theft, senior scams, etc. He is working with community-based organizations and other agencies nationwide to empower community members to take charge of their financial lives.

Santiago earned his undergraduate degree in Sociology from the University of California at Berkeley.