4 ESSENTIAL FACTS TO KNOW FOR THE FTC’S NATIONAL CONSUMER PROTECTION WEEK
From March 6th through 12th, officials with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are sponsoring National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), a period focused on encouraging “consumers nationwide to take full advantage of their consumer rights and make better-informed decisions.”
Backed by dozens of local organizations across the U.S., NCPW is aimed at empowering consumers to protect their rights and their hard-earned money, providing them with the tools and information they may need to fight back against scams, identity theft and other illegal or abusive practices.
To support this effort, below, we have pointed out some of the most important facts to know for NCPW. If you are a consumer who is currently struggling with debt and is ready for a financial fresh start, don’t hesitate to contact a Denver bankruptcy lawyer at Garcia & Gonzales, P.C. to find out more about your best debt relief options.
Consumer complaints filed with the FTC have increased by more than 16 percent over the past year – Although this may be due to the fact that fraud and/or other violations have been on the rise recently, authorities do believe that the surge may also be related to the fact that more consumers are aware of the option to report violations to the FTC.
The most common type of complaints filed with the FTC in 2015 were related to abusive debt collection practices – For the first time in nearly two decades, identity theft was knocked out of the number one complaint spot, as complaints related to abusive debt collection practices soared last year.
Other commonly filed consumer complaints included those related to identity theft, imposter scams and phone service-related scams – In fact, nearly 1 in every 3 complaints filed with the FTC in 2015 was related to one of these issues. And the states from which the most fraud-related complaints came last year included Florida, Michigan and Georgia.
Knowing your rights & being cautious can be the best way to avoid being victimized by consumer scams – In other words, be cautious about any debt collector, agency or some “authority” contacting you and asking you for your personal information. More often than not, these types of calls are related to scams, and taking the simple step of asking for contact information (so you can call them back and verify who they are) can be enough to shed light on scam artists, helping you avoid them and protect yourself.
Contact an Experienced Denver Bankruptcy Lawyer at Garcia & Gonzales, P.C.
Are you looking for real relief from serious debt? If so, you can trust the experienced Denver bankruptcy lawyer at Garcia & Gonzales, P.C. to provide you with experienced help and honest answers about your best debt relief options. With more than 50 years of combined legal experience, our trusted lawyers have the legal knowledge, skills and insight you can rely on to help you favorably resolve your debt issues and obtain a financial fresh start.
To learn more about your best debt relief options, as well as how we can help you, contact us today by calling or by emailing us using the contact form at the bottom of this page.
When you contact us, you will communicate directly with one of our attorneys, not a paralegal or legal assistant. We welcome Spanish-speaking individuals to contact us also – hablamos Español.