Statement of FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez Regarding White House Initiative on Safeguarding Consumers’ Financial Security

Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez issued the following statement regarding the initiative to safeguard consumers’ financial security announced today by President Obama:

“Identity theft has been American consumers’ number one complaint for more than a decade, and it affects people in every community across the nation. I welcome the opportunity for the Federal Trade Commission to participate in this new initiative advancing efforts to address this insidious problem on behalf of consumers.”

Please read the FTC's Tax-Related Identity Theft to learn more about how to uncover and deal with this issue and for contact information for the IRS.  For additional resources, visit the FTC’s identity theft website.

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.