New FTC Publication Helps New Grads Become Wise Consumers

Graduation from high school or college is an exciting time when students focus on the future and the new responsibilities and opportunities it brings. The Federal Trade Commission has issued a new consumer alert, “How to Be the Class ‘Value-dictorian,’” that gives students and graduates tips to avoid scams, keep their personal information safe, and hold on to their hard-earned money.

The FTC alert, available at www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alert/gradalrt.htm, provides important information on a variety of topics, including:

• Establishing good credit;
  
  
• Avoiding scholarship scams that “guarantee” financial aid for college employment scams that falsely promise the inside track on jobs;
  
  
• Protecting personal information by keeping Social Security numbers, passwords, and account numbers safe;
  
  
• Spotting bogus claims for weight loss products; and
  
  
• Reducing unwanted telemarketing calls by registering home and cell phone numbers with the National Do Not Call Registry at www.donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222.

The alert encourages new grads to become savvy consumers by asking questions and doing research before making purchases or signing contracts and using the FTC as a resource to enhance their knowledge and report fraud.

Copies of this and other consumer education publications are available at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/bulkordr.htm and also from the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish (bilingual counselors are available to take complaints), or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or use the complaint form at http://www.ftc.gov. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.