Markets Wired

The Federal Trade Commission and more than 100 federal, state and local agencies, consumer groups and national advocacy organizations, will participate in the 19th Annual National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), held March 5-11, 2017. NCPW is a nationally coordinated campaign to inform Americans of their consumer rights while providing them access to free consumer-related resources.

Acting Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen, who will participate in the FTC’s military Twitter chat on March 9, 2017, noted her anticipation for this year’s NCPW, highlighting her focus on the military community. She also stressed the importance of the campaign’s website, NCPW.gov, which hosts a variety of resources for consumers and their advocates on topics that can help consumers make informed buying decisions and avoid scams.

“I am excited to work with our NCPW partners as we protect all consumers. I’m going to personally reach out to the military community online, an audience that is targeted by scammers too often,” said Ohlhausen. “Educating people through free resources and tools, such as those available on NCPW.gov, is one of the most effective ways we can prevent consumer harm.”

Since its creation, the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection has focused agency resources and national experts on safeguarding American identities, financial records and other elements related to consumer activity.

“Protecting and educating consumers are top priorities for the FTC,” said Thomas Pahl, acting director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The tools available at NCPW.gov can help consumer advocates get the word out about NCPW in their community through local press and social media.”

Along with the Bureau of Consumer Protection, the Bureau of Competition supports the FTC’s consumer protection mission by protecting the competitive process, which can deliver lower prices, enhance innovation, and increase quality and choice for consumers.

FACEBOOK LIVE CHAT:

FTC staff will co-host a Facebook live video stream with USA.gov on March 7, 2017, at 2:30 p.m. ET. Staff will answer questions for 15 minutes about “Ten Things You Can Do To Avoid Fraud.”

To participate in English, follow USA.gov and FTC on Facebook. Ask your questions via livestream beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on March 7.

TWITTER CHAT:

FTC staff will host a Twitter chat with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (@CTDCP) to answer consumer questions on March 8, 2017 beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET. Staff will answer questions for an hour on debt, identity theft, online safety, and other consumer protection topics. To participate in English, follow @FTC, @milconsumer and Tweet questions with the hashtag #NCPW2017. For Spanish, follow @LaFTC and use #FTCcharla.

FTC will host an additional Twitter chat with the Colorado Attorney General’s office (@StopFraudCo) to answer consumer questions on March 9, 2017 beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET. Staff will answer questions for an hour on tax identity theft and imposter scams. To participate in English, follow @FTC, @milconsumer, @MOhlhausenFTC and Tweet questions with the hashtag #NCPW2017. For Spanish, follow @LaFTC and use #FTCcharla.

During NCPW, partners and hundreds of community groups across the country host events to promote general consumer education or highlight a specific issue. For more information on National Consumer Protection Week, visit NCPW.gov and subscribe to the blog.

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.