National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) highlights consumer protection and education efforts around the country. NCPW 2007– Read Up and Reach Out: Be an Informed Consumer – encourages people across the nation to take advantage of the wealth of information that can enhance confidence in the marketplace. Consumer information can help people recognize a rip-off, smell a scam, or find a fraud.
Fraudulent promotions seek to exploit people’s financial fantasies, needs, and general optimism. But informed consumers are better able to see through frauds and deceptions, whether they take the form of questionable claims in an ad, ‘breathless’ offers that come in the mail or email, or schemes that sound like sure-fire successes. Perhaps more important, informed consumers know where to go for information about their rights, and how and where to complain.
Consumers can find practical – and tactical – tips from NCPW partner organizations about how to make well-informed purchase decisions, avoid scams, protect their personal information, and file a complaint at www.consumer.gov/ncpw.
This site has information from federal, state, and local government agencies, and national consumer advocacy organizations. Use it to promote NCPW in your community, or at your school, job, or club. The Outreach Toolkit has promotional materials you can download and use.