Connecticut is joining a host of federal, state and local agencies and organizations in recognizing National Consumer Protection Week, March 7th through 13th. The goal of this annual campaign is to inform and encourage individuals to take full advantage of their consumer rights.
“We want to highlight the importance of using good consumer sense at every stage of life – from grade school through retirement,” Connecticut Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell, Jr. said today. “I encourage everyone to visit the National Consumer Protection Week website at www.consumer.gov/ncpw, to learn everything they can about making smart decisions in the marketplace.”
Young people aged 12 and under spend billions of dollars on goods and services each year, so financial education for youngsters is a key aspect of the campaign. In the website’s “Virtual Mall,” kids can play games, design ads, and chat with customers and store owners while learning key consumer concepts, such as advertising effects, businesses competition, information protection, and recognizing scams.
Another website section focuses on health, including tips for finding reliable online information and avoiding fake remedies. Advice includes precautions consumers should take when dealing with health information and products online.
“The last thing anyone with a serious illness needs is false hope in the form of fake cures,” Farrell said. “One of the featured links, http://ftc.gov/curious, helps consumers protect themselves and their loved ones from the empty promises of miracle cancer cures.”
In this tough economy and tight job market, online employment fraud and “work-at-home” offers are flourishing. A portion of the Consumer Protection Week website called “Scam Watch” includes print materials and videos to help consumers learn about and avoid being cheated by fake check scams, mystery shopping and money transfer scams.
The country’s top national experts in financial literacy, consumer affairs and fraud prevention contributed to this year’s campaign, including the Comptroller of the Currency, the Consumer Federation of America, the Federal Citizen’s Information Center, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Trade Commission, the National Association of Attorneys General, the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators, the National Consumers League, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Postal Service, AARP, and the Council of Better Business Bureaus.
“I want to also remind residents that Connecticut is fortunate to have a strong and active Department of Consumer Protection, and that we are available to help with information or solutions to consumer problems at 1-800-842-2649 or on the web at www.ct.gov/dcp,” Farrell said.
