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The Federal Trade Commission has announced the agenda for the upcoming Protecting Military Consumers: A Common Ground Conference, which will take place from 9:00 am to 1 pm on Sept. 7, 2017, at the Los Angeles Police Department Headquarters, 100 W. 1st Street, in Los Angeles.

The conference will bring together and train military attorneys and financial advisors, law enforcement, prosecution agencies, and consumer protection officials to identify, prevent, and respond to consumer fraud and other issues affecting service members and their families.

Co-sponsored by the FTC and state and local law enforcement, the conference will first address current and emerging issues affecting servicemembers and their families, such as higher education, identity theft, imposter scams, debt collection, mortgage disputes and real estate fraud.

Next, participants will learn about federal, state and local consumer protection laws such as the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, the Military Lending Act, the FTC Act, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s rules and regulations, California’s Unfair Competition Law, and California’s False Adversing Law. Finally, the conference will provide practical tips on counseling, one-on-one dispute resolution, reporting fraud, and available legal representation that can help service members and military attorneys prevent, detect and defend against consumer fraud.

The FTC’s Acting Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, Tom Pahl, will provide the keynote address.  Several other Federal Trade Commission staff will participate in panel discussions.  Other organizations providing speakers include the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, California Military Department’s JAG Corps, California Attorney General’s Office, San Diego District Attorney’s Office, Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, Los Angeles Police Department, and Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs.

The conference will be streamed live online. An RSVP is suggested, as space is limited. To RSVP, please email only your name and affiliation (if any) to militaryla@ftc.gov.

The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers. You can learn more about consumer topics and file a consumer complaint online or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357). Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, read our blogs and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.