Markets Wired

The Federal Trade Commission and other government agencies and national consumer groups are sponsoring the 12th annual National Consumer Protection Week from March 7-13, 2010. The event is a coordinated consumer education campaign that encourages individuals across the country to take full advantage of their consumer rights.

This year’s theme, Dollars & Sense: Rated “A” for All Ages, highlights the importance of using good consumer sense at every stage of life, from grade school to retirement. In keeping with the theme, the consumer education campaign features a Web site with a page for kids and parents, as well as games, videos, and links other Web sites that teach practical lessons about the role of business and government in everyday life. The site, www.consumer.gov/ncpw, provides information that encourages people to take full advantage of their consumer rights, and promotes free resources to help people protect their privacy, manage money and debt, avoid identity theft, understand credit and mortgages, and steer clear of frauds and scams.

For the first time, the site features a blog, www.consumer.gov/ncpw/blog, where visitors can learn about consumer resources in an informal and interactive environment. The blog gives consumers a chance to connect directly with representatives of public and private consumer protection organizations, and find great tips for avoiding frauds and scams. It also gives National Consumer Protection Week partners a platform for sharing outreach ideas.

National organizers of this year’s event include AARP, Better Business Bureau, Consumer Federation of America (CFA), Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Reserve System, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators (NACAA), National Consumers League (NCL), National Futures Association (NFA), NeighborWorks® America, North American Securities Administrators Association, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and United States Postal Service (USPS). More than 70 events have been planned around the country.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and
unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To
file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,800 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.

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