Lynn Little
Washington County Office
7303 Sharpsburg Pike
Boonsboro, Maryland 21713
TEL 301-791-1504
FAX 301-791-1048
llittle@umd.edu
News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: 3/1/2013
Celebrate National Consumer Protection Week
For the past 15 years, a broad coalition has worked together to share tips and
information about privacy protection, money and debt management, and recognizing
identity theft, frauds and scams. University of Maryland Extension – Washington County
is joining the coalition of government agencies, advocacy organizations and private
sector groups nationwide to celebrate National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW),
March 3-9, 2013 with shopping strategies and consumer tips to empower you to make
better buying decisions and protect your rights in the marketplace.
You can begin learning more with these tips from USA.gov (www.usa.gov).
Keep up with recent recalls or safety complaints of things you may have around the
house or check on that great thrift shop bargain before you buy. Use the Recalls.gov
app and mobile site to search by product type and brand name.
When your wallet is lost or stolen, there are eight steps you need to take right away
(http://www.usa.gov/topics/consumer/identity-theft.pdf). A thief won’t waste time trying
to cash in on your loss. Learn now so you’ll be ready to protect your identity and your
credit as soon as your wallet goes missing.
A new federal agency is working to eliminate deceptive and unfair lending practices?
Established in 2010, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) works to make
sure providers of mortgages, credit cards, student loans and banking services market
their products honestly, clearly and legally. Learn more about their work, and their
simple tips for protecting yourself (http://promotions.usa.gov/cfpbpubs.html).
University of Maryland Extension programs are open to all citizens and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, or
national origin, marital status, genetic information, or political affiliation, or gender identity and expression.
Scammers see tough economic times as an opportunity? Job scams are abundant, as
swindlers “guarantee” you an unadvertised job, try to get you to pay for their placement
services or tell you that you can get rich by working from home. Learn more about
financial scams and saving money at the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer.gov.
There’s a formula for complaining effectively. If you’re not satisfied with a product or
service, use the Consumer Action Handbook’s sample complaint letter to let the
company know where they went wrong and how you want them to fix it. To get the free
Handbook or its Spanish counterpart, la Guía del Consumidor, visit the consumer
protection sections of USA.gov or GobiernoUSA.gov
(http://publications.usa.gov/USAPubs.php).
During a special National Consumer Protection Week online Q&A session you can ask
government experts your consumer questions. Experts from USA.gov and the Federal
Trade Commission will connect you with government resources to answer your
questions during the live event on Wednesday, March 6 from 2-3pm EST. Find out about
the latest scams, how to protect your family from identity theft, and more. To
participate, submit your questions in advance or during the event on USA.gov’s
Facebook page or on Twitter using the hashtag #NCPW.
During National Consumer Protection Week or anytime, visit www.ncpw.gov, your
Information Destination, for free educational resources and blog posts from national
consumer protection experts.
University of Maryland Extension programs are open to all citizens and will not discriminate against
anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry,
or national origin, marital status, genetic information, or political affiliation, or gender identity and
expression.