Markets Wired

The Federal Trade Commission is teaming up with other government agencies and organizations to mark the first Military Consumer Protection Day (MCPD) on July 17 and kick off a year-round campaign to empower military and veterans’ communities with resources to deal with managing money, protecting personal information, and avoiding scams.

The FTC, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Military Saves lead the effort. Two dozen other federal and state agencies, consumer advocates, and industry groups also are partners.

“Military Consumer Protection Day gives us an opportunity to focus on the servicemembers, veterans, and families who sacrifice so much for our country,” said Jessica Rich, FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection Director. “They are targets for fraud because they relocate frequently, and many are living on their own and earning a steady paycheck for the first time.”

In 2012, the Commission received more than 62,200 complaints from military consumers. Identity theft topped the list with nearly 24,800 complaints. Other top complaint categories from the military community included debt collection; imposter scams; sweepstakes/prizes/lottery scams; and banks and lenders. 

Commanders, personnel finance managers, military members, veterans, community leaders, and others can visit www.military.ncpw.gov to download or order copies of materials from MCPD partners; put together a customizable tool kit for outreach events throughout the year; subscribe to the blog; and learn more about how to get involved.

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.