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The Federal Trade Commission and the Florida Attorney General’s Office will host a town hall on identity theft and tax fraud on Wednesday, February 20, 2013, in Boca Raton, Florida.

To help address the growing problem of tax-related fraud, including the use of stolen Social Security numbers to get tax refunds, the Identity Theft/Tax Fraud Town Hall will cover how it occurs, law enforcement efforts, and how consumers can prevent identity theft or respond if it happens.

Participants will include Congressman Ted Deutch, FTC Southeast Region Director Cindy Liebes, and Richard Lawson, Director of the Florida Attorney General Office’s Consumer Protection Division, as well as other state and federal law enforcement officials, and consumer advocates.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. until noon in the Boca Raton Police Department Training Center, 6500 Congress Avenue.  It is free and open to the public.  No pre-registration is necessary.

To learn more about avoiding and responding to identity theft and tax fraud, visit the FTC’s Identity Theft website (Robo de Identidad), Florida Attorney General’s Office, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, and AARP.

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 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.  Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.