FTC pushes education for consumers during National Consumer Protection Week

Happy National Consumer Protection Week! There won’t be balloons or cake, but the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is inviting consumers to take part in a series of webinars, Twitter chats, and livestreams that it is hosting on subjects ranging from cryptocurrency scams to financial caregiving and everything in between.

Here are some of the events that the agency will be hosting throughout the week:

All week long

Consumers can follow the FTC on social media for quick, shareable consumer tips all week long.

• Facebook: Federal Trade Commission

• Twitter: @FTC (english) and Spanish @laFTC

Tuesday, March 8

3 pm EST: Join the FTC and the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs for a webinar on how to protect yourself from scams and where to report them.

11 am EST: Join the FTC, AARP Georgia, the Better Business Bureau, and the Georgia Department of Law for a webinar about how to avoid common scams, including impersonator, gift card, romance, and pet scams.

Wednesday, March 9

1 pm EST: Join the FTC and the National Student Employment Association for a webinar about college students and cryptocurrency scams. Consumers will learn the basics of cryptocurrency and some of the common scams that people are reporting. The experts will also go over how cryptocurrency is affecting college students.

Thursday, March 10

Join NCPW Twitter chats on avoiding Coronavirus and impersonator scams.

1 pm EST: Join the Twitter chat in Spanish with @laFTC, @USAGovEspanol, and @SeguroSocial. Follow the conversation by using the hashtags #OjoConLasEstafas and #NCPW2022.

3 pm EST: Join the Twitter chat in English with @FTC, @USAGov, and @SocialSecurity. Follow the conversation by using the hashtags #SlamTheScamChat and #NCPW2022.

1 pm EST: Join the FTC, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Diverse Elders Coalition for a webinar about financial caregiving. Consumers will learn about free resources to help caregivers and older adults plan for financial caregiving. The FTC will also share information about how to spot, avoid, and report scams.

2 pm EST: Join the FTC, SAGE, and AARP’s Fraud Watch Network for a webinar about how to recover from fraud. This interactive discussion will highlight possible ways to recover money lost to scammers and how to cope with the emotional impact of scams and fraud.

2 pm EST: Join the FTC, the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs, the BBB, the AARP, and the Internal Revenue Service for a panel focused on top scams affecting people in Massachusetts.

7 pm EST: Join a Facebook Live event with the FTC and the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General. Consumers will learn how to spot and avoid government impersonator scams. 

Friday, March 11

11 am EST: Join the FTC and the Texas Senior Medicare Patrol for a webinar about fighting fraud.