As part of National Consumer Protection Week (NPCW), the Federal Trade Commission and its partners, including consumer organizations, national advocacy organizations, and other federal, state, and local government agencies will participate in several virtual and in-person events on issues such as avoiding scams, protecting people against identity theft, and reporting fraud for people in all communities.
During the week of March 2-8, 2024, the FTC and NCPW partners will host and participate in social media events, podcasts, webinars, and other events to help people understand their consumer rights and avoid fraud, scams, and identity theft.
All these events are open to the public and virtual, except where noted.
All Week
- Follow the FTC on Twitter/X at @FTC and on Facebook for resources and advice on avoiding frauds and scams.
- Listen in to The Fraudian Slip podcast. FTC staff will share information on avoiding and recovering from identity theft and new language access resources.
- Watch the City of Palmdale’s video series featuring FTC staff on how to spot and avoid scams.
Saturday, March 2 & Sunday, March 3
- In-person event 9:30am – 5pm MT: Visit the FTC table at the 66th Annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market at 2301 North Central Avenue in Phoenix, AZ. FTC staff will be giving out free materials on avoiding scams and identity theft.
Monday, March 4
- 2pm ET: Join the FTC for a webinar on identity theft and college students. Staff will share information on how college students can avoid and recover from identity theft and free publications that can be distributed on campus.
- In-person event 3pm ET: Join the FTC for a presentation on avoiding scams at the Anne Arundel County Library’s Severna Park Branch, located at 45 W McKinsey Rd in Severna Park, MD.
Tuesday, March 5
- In-person event 10am – 2pm CT: Stop by the Plano Coit Station Post Office at 3400 Coit Road in Plano, TX to pick up free FTC and USPIS resources to help you spot, avoid, and recover from scams and identity theft.
- In-person event 10am CT: Join the FTC and the City of Dallas at the West Dallas Multipurpose Center at 2828 Fish Trap Road in Dallas, TX for a discussion on how to spot, avoid, and report scams — especially those affecting older adults.
- 10am CT: Join the FTC, Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, and the BBB of Chicago for a webinar focused on the top scams affecting consumers and small businesses.
- 11:30am ET: Attend a webinar (in Spanish) with the FTC and Qualitas of Life on how small businesses and entrepreneurs can avoid scams and protect their network.
Wednesday, March 6
- 1pm ET: Join the FTC, CFPB, and SEC for a webinar on how older adults can spot and avoid fraud.
- 1pm ET /: Join the FTC, CFPB, Consumer Action, and other organizations for a webinar on helping diverse and multilingual communities spot, avoid, and report fraud.
- 1pm ET: Join the FTC and IRS for a webinar on how to avoid tax-related identity theft.
- In-person event 12pm PT: Visit with staff from the FTC’s Northwest Regional Office and the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of WA at the Spokane WA Central Library, located at 906 W Main Ave in Spokane, WA. FTC staff will distribute free publications on spotting and avoiding scams. Free materials will also be available at other Spokane County Library System locations.
- In-person event 1pm PT: The FTC’s Northwest Regional Office is presenting fraud and identity theft prevention advice at the Orcas Island WA Senior Center, located at 62 Henry Rd in Eastsound, WA.
- 1:30pm PT: Join the FTC for a webinar with the Bainbridge Island WA Senior Center on spotting and avoiding scams and identity theft.
Thursday, March 7
- In-person event 10am-2pm CT: Stop by the Fort Worth Main Post Office at 4600 Mark IV Parkway in Fort Worth, TX to pick up free FTC and US Postal Inspection Service resources to help you spot, avoid, and recover from scams and identity theft.
- 1pm ET: Join the NCPW Twitter/X chat (in Spanish) for advice on avoiding common scams with @laFTC. Follow the conversation by using the hashtag #NCPW2024.
- 3pm ET: Join the NCPW Twitter/X chat (in English) for advice on avoiding common scams with @FTC. Follow the conversation by using the hashtag #NCPW2024.
- 3pm ET: Join the FTC, USPIS, and AARP Fraud Watch Network for a Facebook Live conversation about veterans and fraud.
- In-person event 6pm CT: Join the FTC and the City of Dallas at the Dallas Northwest Community Center, located at 5750 Pineland Dr in Dallas, TX, for a presentation on how recent refugees and immigrants can avoid scams. Interpreters will be available to translate the presentation into Spanish, Dari, Arabic, and Swahili, and consumer education materials will be shared in several languages.
Friday, March 8
- 9:45am ET: Join the FTC and AARP Fraud Watch Network for a Facebook Live on the FTC’s new resources in multiple languages, in addition to English and Spanish.
For information on how to get involved, visit ftc.gov/NCPW.