National Consumer Protection Week 2011 Kicks Off Sunday March 6

The Federal Trade Commission and nearly 30 other federal agencies, consumer groups and national advocacy organizations, in conjunction with state, county, and local government agencies, will hold more than 120 events in 25 states and the District of Columbia during National Consumer Protection Week, March 6-12, 2011.  National Consumer Protection Week is a coordinated campaign to focus attention on the importance of consumer information and steer people to free resources about their rights in the marketplace.

The website for the week-long series of events has information about consumer rights, protecting privacy online and off, managing credit and debt, avoiding identity theft, understanding mortgages, and recognizing and reporting frauds and scams, among other timely topics. Visitors can download and print materials and share them with friends and neighbors, or use the National Consumer Protection Week Toolkit to plan a larger community event.  A blog has practical tips by consumer protection experts and invites readers to share their experiences.  Information on both websites is available in English and Spanish.

Details of events during National Consumer Protection Week are at ncpw.gov/events.  The chief executives of several states, cities, and counties across the nation have issued proclamations noting the importance of consumer protection to individual financial health, and urging citizens to use the resources available from participating organizations.  These organizations are holding information fairs as well as events where people can shred documents with sensitive data that they no longer need.

Joining the FTC in the 13th annual celebration of consumer protection and consumer education are:  The AARP, the Better Business Bureau, the Consumer Federation of America, the Federal Citizen Information Center, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve System, the Internal Revenue Service, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the NAACP, the National Association of Attorneys General, the National Consumers League, the National Council of La Raza, the National Futures Association, the National Urban League, NeighborWorks America, the North American Securities Administrators Association, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Office of Thrift Supervision, the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Postal Service.

The FTC works 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 or get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. Watch a new video, How to File a Complaint, at ftc.gov/video to learn more. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by more than 1,800 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

(FYI NCPW2)