Markets Wired

The Federal Trade Commission and its federal, state and local partners, together with consumer groups and national advocacy organizations, will participate in the 21st annual National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) from March 3-9, 2019. NCPW is a nationally coordinated campaign to help consumers understand their rights while giving them access to free educational materials.

“As the nation’s primary consumer protection agency, we take pride in working with our partners and providing free educational resources to remind consumers of their rights,” said Chairman Joe Simons. “We encourage informed consumers to share their knowledge and help others avoid scams.”

The FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection (BCP) focuses its resources to protect Americans from scams, identity theft, and other unfair, deceptive, and fraudulent business practices.

Along with BCP, the Bureau of Competition protects the interests of consumers by promoting vigorous competition, which can deliver lower prices, enhance innovation, and increase quality and choice for consumers.

During NCPW, the FTC joins its partners to bring consumers information and advice on scams, identity theft, and other fraudulent business practices. Below is this year’s schedule of activities:

Wednesday, March 6 at 3:00 p.m. ET: Twitter chat with Federal Student Aid

The FTC (@FTC) and Federal Student Aid (@FAFSA) will co-host a Twitter chat discussion on how to avoid student loan repayment scams using the #NCPW2019 hashtag.

Thursday, March 7 at 12:00 p.m. ET: Facebook Live with Social Security Administration

FTC staff will join colleagues at the Social Security Administration (SSA) on Facebook Live to discuss scams that involve fraudsters pretending to be SSA officials. Consumers will learn about these imposter scams and how to avoid them.

Friday, March 8 at 11:00 a.m. ET: Twitter chat with Identity Theft Resource Center

The FTC (@FTC) and the Identity Theft Resource (@ITRCSD) will co-host a Twitter chat on how consumers can protect themselves against tax identity theft this tax season using the #NCPW2019 hashtag.

Lastly, the FTC has a podcast planned with the American Bankers Association Foundation on phishing. Details on this event will be available soon.

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 FTC.gov/NCPW and subscribe to Consumer Alerts.

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.