Markets Wired

The Federal Trade Commission and its partners across the country will participate in the 20th anniversary of National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), held March 4-10, 2018. NCPW is a nationally coordinated campaign to help consumers understand their consumer rights and make well-informed decisions about money and learn how to spot scams.

“We’re excited to kick off the 20th anniversary of National Consumer Protection Week,” Acting Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen said. “The NCPW.gov website is a fantastic resource to help consumers understand their rights, spot and avoid scams, and to find materials for their families and their community at no cost.”

Since its creation, the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection has focused agency resources and national experts on safeguarding Americans from identity theft, protecting their financial records, and addressing other key consumer protection issues. In addition, FTC’s Bureau of Competition supports consumers by promoting competition in the marketplace, which can deliver lower prices, enhance innovation, and increase quality and choice for consumers.

This year, the FTC will continue the campaign with a series of Facebook Live events with its NCPW partners throughout the week. Topics of discussion include identity theft, imposter scams, the Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book and how to avoid fraud.

FACEBOOK LIVE EVENTS:

• Tuesday, March 6th @ 7pm EST: FTC staff will join USA.gov for a Facebook Live chat on the top frauds and scams, and ways to avoid them. To participate, follow FTC and USA.gov on Facebook.
• Wednesday, March 7th @ 2pm EST: FTC staff and the National Credit Union Administration will talk about identity theft, data breaches, and protecting yourself – and your money – with some consumer protection basics. To participate, follow FTC and NCUA.gov on Facebook.
• Wednesday, March 7th @ 7pm EST: Spanish-speaking FTC staff will co-host a chat with GobiernoUSA.gov in Spanish. Staff will talk about the top scams, ways to avoid them, and the FTC’s fotonovela campaign to help Spanish speakers understand their consumer rights. To participate in Spanish, follow GobiernoUSA.gov on Facebook.
• Thursday, March 8th @ 11am EST: FTC staff will join the Social Security Administration to talk about identity theft, scams that target older adults, and the FTC’s Pass It On campaign to help older adults talk about scams. To participate, follow FTC and SSA on Facebook.

During NCPW, partners and hundreds of community groups across the country host events to promote general consumer education or highlight a specific issue.

To order free materials for upcoming consumer education events, visit bulkorder.ftc.gov. 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.