Action Line: Consumer Protection Week focuses on rights
BY PHIL MULKINS World Action Line Editor
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
3/05/13 at 7:02 AM
Dear Action Line: I heard Consumer Protection Week was coming soon but haven't seen anything about it locally. What have you heard on this? - S.S., Tulsa
National Consumer Protection Week 2013 is now. It kicked off Sunday as the Federal Trade Commission was joined by more than 60 participating federal, state and local agencies, consumer groups and national advocacy organizations.
The week is a campaign focusing on the importance of keeping consumers informed while providing them with free resources explaining their rights in the marketplace.
Charles Harwood, acting director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, noted that the campaign's website tulsaworld.com/NCPW - available in English and Spanish, tulsaworld.com/NCPWspanish - hosts a variety of resources on topics that matter to the nation's consumers.
"The NCPW website has information that can help consumers understand their rights, protect their privacy, avoid identity theft, recognize scams, manage their credit and debt and even report fraud," Harwood said. "Consumers also can download materials to share with family and friends or use at community events to help people be more informed."
This year's event marks the 15th celebration of National Consumer Protection Week. To get materials and to view a full list of participating agencies, visit the NCPW's "About Us" page at tulsaworld.com/NCPWagencies The attorneys general of Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Ohio, Rhode Island and Tennessee are participating. Oklahoma's AG is not.
Twitter chat: The FTC staff will host a Twitter Chat with the U.S. General Services Administration at 1 p.m. Wednesday to answer questions for 60 minutes on debt, identity theft, online safety and other consumer protection topics. To participate in English, follow @FTC at tulsaworld.com/FTCfollowTwitter and tweet questions with the hashtag #NCPW. For Spanish, follow @LaFTC at tulsaworld.com/FTCfollowTwitterSpan and use #FTCcharla.
Facebook: "Like" the FTC on Facebook ( tulsaworld.com/FTClikeonFacebook).
FTC: The agency works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices and provides information to help spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, go to tulsaworld.com/FTCComplaint or call 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 nationwide and abroad. The FTC's website provides free information on a variety of topics at tulsaworld.com/FTCtopics
Original Print Headline: Consumer Protection Week focuses on rights
Submit Action Line questions by calling 918-699-8888, emailing phil.mulkins@tulsaworld.com or by mailing them to Tulsa World Action Line, P.O. Box 1770, Tulsa, OK 74102-1770.
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