Credit: Scams
For the first annual National Consumer Protection Week in 1999 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chose “credit fraud” as the theme, declaring that “Consumers in Every Walk of Life (Are) Affected by Credit Scams.” The five consumer scams highlighted had to do with:
Avoiding Credit and Charge Card Fraud -- The FTC publishes this free brochure that alerts you to some common scams, gives consumer protection tips, outlines federal laws, and lists resources for additional help. Can also order by phone/mail:
- Credit repair
- Advance-fee loans
- Home equity
- Identity theft
- File segregation
If you think that you have had a problem with a scam, contact your local consumer protection agency, the attorney general for your state, or the Better Business Bureau. You can find these by looking in your local phone book or calling directory assistance. You can file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. To file a complaint with the FTC, contact the Consumer Response Center by phone or by mail (as listed above), or by e-mail, using their complaint form:Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Room H-130
Washington, DC 20580-0001
Phone: 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261
National Consumers League
1701 K Street, N.W., Suite 1200
Washington, D.C. 20006
Phone: (202) 853-3323
Fax: (202)-835-0747National Fraud Information Center
(800) 876-7060
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