Summary
National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) is a concentrated effort to educate Americans about consumer rights and teach them how to spot and avoid frauds and scams.
The California Department of Consumer Affairs and its boards and bureaus join the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other federal, state, and local partners in this ongoing consumer protection effort. The FTC reports that 2.8 million fraud reports were received in 2020, amounting to $5.8 billion in consumer losses.
National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) is a time for Americans to learn about consumer rights and how to spot and avoid frauds and scams.
The week-long campaign by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is part of an ongoing consumer protection effort. The FTC reports that 2.8 million fraud reports were received in 2020, amounting to $5.8 billion in consumer losses.
The California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) joins the campaign along with its 36 boards and bureaus which license and regulate more than 3.4 million licensees in more than 280 license types, including doctors, nurses, veterinarians, household moving companies, auto repair shops, dentists, engineers, and many others.
There are also a few topics not under DCA’s jurisdiction, such as gift cards, landlord/tenant issues, and dating websites. Information on how to resolve those issues is available here.
Consumers across the state have various ways to access consumer resources. Consumers can visit DCA’s website or call DCA’s Consumer Information Center (CIC) to check the license of a professional, access information regarding a licensee’s disciplinary history, or file a complaint against a licensee. That’s consumer protection in your neighborhood.
DCA’s website is also where consumers can find DCA’s free consumer magazine, Consumer Connection, and information about ongoing or current scams that may target licensees. Among common tips licensees should remember is DCA would never cold call asking for any personal information, like social security numbers, date of birth, or credit/debit card numbers.
Visit the FTC’s NCPW website for additional information on consumer protection, including consumer events being held online and in-person across the country during NPCW. Follow DCA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay update on the latest consumer news in California.
