National Consumer Protection Week 2023 Begins Sunday, March 5

National Consumer Protection Week 2023 begins this Sunday, March 5.

The Federal Trade Commission and its partners, including consumer organizations, national advocacy organizations, and other federal, state, and local government agencies will participate in virtual and in-person events to promote consumers’ rights and protections against fraud, scams, and identity theft.

The FTC and partners will host and participate in town halls, roundtables, Twitter chats, webinars, and other events focused on helping people understand their consumer rights and avoid fraud, scams, and identity theft. Please see the list below for details on the week to come:

All week

• Follow the FTC on social media for quick, shareable consumer tips all week long.
  • Facebook: Federal Trade Commission
  • Twitter: @FTC, @LaFTC

Saturday, March 4, and Sunday, March 5

• (In-person event) 9:30am – 4pm MST: Visit the FTC table at the 65th Annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market at 2301 North Central Avenue in Phoenix, AZ. FTC staff will give out free resources on avoiding scams and identity theft.

Monday, March 6

• (In-person event) 10:30am EST: Join the FTC, the Georgia Department of Law’s Consumer Protection Division, and AARP Georgia for a panel discussion on identity theft and scams at the Elaine H. Lucas Senior Center at 132 Willie Smokie Glover Drive in Macon, GA.
• 10:30am MST: Join the FTC and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office of Financial Empowerment for a virtual workshop about consumer financial protection tools from federal, state, and local government.
• 2pm EST: Join the FTC for a special NCPW webinar about the top frauds reported in 2022, with a special focus on how they affect older adults and how to protect people from scams.

Tuesday, March 7

• (In-person event) 10am PST: Join the FTC, Nevada Consumer Affairs, Nevada AG, and BBB for a Town Hall event at the Reno + Sparks Chamber of Commerce at 4065 South Virginia Street #101 in Reno, NV.
• 2pm EST: Join the FTC, AARP Fraud Watch Network, and the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services for a virtual town hall discussion with librarians about how to spot and avoid the top scams affecting older patrons.
• (In-person event) 1pm PST: Join the FTC and the United States Postal Inspection Service for a presentation on tax, mail, and impersonator scams and how to avoid them, at the Northshore Senior Center at 10201 East Riverside Drive in Bothell, WA.
• (In-person event) 2pm – 4pm PST: Join the FTC for a Fraud Prevention Round Table at Mercy Oaks at 100 Mercy Oaks Drive in Redding, CA. FTC staff will discuss ways to avoid common scams. 

Wednesday, March 8

• (In-person event) 10am – 2pm HAST: Visit the FTC table at the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs NCPW Fair at the King Kalakaua Building Courtyard at 335 Merchant Street, in Honolulu, Hawaii. FTC staff will give out free resources on avoiding scams and identity theft.
• (In-person event) 10am – 1pm PST: Visit the FTC table at the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office Fraud Prevention Fair at Mercy Oaks at 100 Mercy Oaks Drive in Redding, CA. FTC staff will give out free resources on avoiding scams and identity theft.

• 10am CST: Join the FTC and Texas Senior Medicare Patrol for a webinar about fraud against older adults.
• 1pm EST: Join the NCPW Twitter chat @laFTC (in Spanish) for advice on avoiding common scams. Follow the conversation by using the hashtag #NCPW2023.
• 1pm EST: Call in to join the FTC and AARP Ohio for a Tele-Town Hall about how to avoid scams.

• 3pm EST: Join the NCPW Twitter chat @FTC (in English) for advice on avoiding common scams. Follow the conversation by using the hashtag #NCPW2023.
• 3pm CST: Join the FTC and the City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Education for a webinar on top frauds and how to avoid them.
• 5pm EST: Call in to the Cleveland WEWS News Channel 5 NCPW Consumer Phone Bank and speak with FTC staff and consumer advocates for advice on consumer issues. Tune in during the evening telecast to get the call-in number.

Thursday, March 9

• All Day: Watch and share Instagram Reels (in English and Spanish) from the FTC and Social Security Administration on how to avoid impersonator scams.

• 1pm EST: Join the FTC for a special NCPW webinar about how to spot and avoid the top frauds reported in 2022 with a special focus on how they affect older adults.

Saturday, March 11

• (In-person event) 10am-11am EST: Visit with FTC and volunteer attorneys for a Legal Advice Clinic at the Cleveland Public Library, Jefferson Branch at 850 Jefferson Avenue in Cleveland, OH. Volunteer attorneys will be available to listen to listen to consumer-related and other civil issues (non-criminal) and will then offer brief advice or referrals to useful resources. Attendees will be seen on a first-come, first-serve basis.

 For information on how to get involved, visit ftc.gov/NCPW.