Markets Wired

The Federal Trade Commission staff will host a workshop on October 10-11, 2007, to explore changes in the debt collection industry and examine their impact on consumers and businesses.

Consumer advocates, industry representatives, state and federal regulators, and others with relevant expertise will provide information on a range of issues, including the effects of technological, economic, and legal changes on the industry and whether the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and other laws have kept pace with developments.

Open to the public at no charge, the two-day workshop will be held in the FTC’s Satellite Building Conference Center, 601 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. There is no pre-registration. All attendees must show a valid form of photo identification, such as a driver’s license. To see the agenda or to view the event Webcast, visit http://www.ftc.gov/debtcollectionworkshop.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or use the complaint form at http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint.htm. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,600 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.