Reach Out!
Create a Calendar of Events
Seasonal events and holiday celebrations present opportunities to talk about consumer issues. Here are some ideas for potential consumer topics you can talk about each month.
January
Free Annual Credit Reports
Consumers have the right to get a free copy of their credit report once a year from the three national consumer reporting agencies - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Encourage others to check their free credit report as a New Year's resolution. They can do so by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com or calling 1-877-322-8228. The FTC's fact sheet, Your Access to Free Credit Reports, provides more information on the topic. You can print it out from www.ftc.gov/credit or order copies by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP or visiting www.ftc.gov/bulkorder.
Managing Debt
After the holiday celebrations, many people end up with more debt than they would like. January is a good time to think about ways to manage debt and make resolutions to achieve financial stability. Make copies of Knee Deep in Debt, which offers detailed information about various options available to help consumers in financial trouble, including self-help steps, credit counseling services, debt consolidation, and bankruptcy. The brochure, available at www.ftc.gov/credit, also cautions consumers against credit repair clinics that promise to clean up credit reports.
February
Identity Theft
If you've encouraged others to check their credit report in January, follow up in February and talk to them about identity theft. If they discovered accounts on their credit report that they did not authorize, they need to know how to do to clear their name. The FTC's Talking About Identity Theft: A How-to Guide provides step-by-step instructions to help others deter, detect and defend against identity theft. The kit includes a 10-minute video, a speech, a power point presentation, a brochure that you can photocopy and distribute to others, and sample materials to help you promote your event. These materials are available at www.ftc.gov/idtheft.
Buying Jewelry
Many people like to give jewelry to those they love in the month of February. Buying jewelry can be fun and exciting but also confusing. It's good to take some time to learn the terms used in the industry before investing money in jewelry. Visit www.ftc.gov/espanol and download the publication All That Glitters... How to Buy Jewelry. Whether shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store, by catalog, or online, this publication helps consumers get the best quality jewelry for their money. A column in your newsletter on this subject is sure to be informative and useful.
March
National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW)
Every February, the FTC, other federal agencies, and consumer advocacy organizations celebrate NCPW and highlight consumer protection issues across the country. Your organization can be involved by promoting consumer education during this week. You can find more information about the theme, the dates, and ways to promote NCPW at www.consumer.gov/ncpw.
Travel Scams
As some people prepare to travel during Spring Break or the upcoming summer months, it's useful to remind everyone to stay away from possible travel package scams. Visit www.ftc.gov/travel and play "Gear Up for a Great Trip," a fun, interactive game with advice on how to spot and avoid travel scams. Play the game, send it to others using the "Send to a Friend" feature, and encourage them to learn from the travel tips the game offers. Promote the game in your organization's newsletter.
Home Improvement
As the weather warms up, some people think about making improvements to their home. But consumers can get into trouble if they hire a contractor who's not licensed or insured to do work in their state. Contact your local consumer protection agency and ask them for information on choosing a contractor, licensing requirements, and other home improvement issues. They might be interested in working with your organization to educate your community on home improvement laws and avoiding scams. For more information, read Home Sweet Home Improvement available at www.ftc.gov/espanol.
April
Financial Literacy Month
April is Financial Literacy Month. Use the credit information in the FTC's Read Up! How to be an Informed Consumer to conduct a series of workshops, dedicating time to each of these topics: establishing credit, understanding your credit report, credit scoring, using credit cards responsibly, and avoiding credit scams.
If you work with teenagers, college students, and parents, talk to them about the responsibilities of establishing and using credit. Distribute copies of Getting Credit, the FTC's guide to establishing credit, or see the website at www.ftc.gov/gettingcredit. To order copies of this brochure in Spanish and in English, visit www.ftc.gov/bulkorder.
Scholarship Scams
In the spring, paying for college is on the minds of students and parents. Unfortunately, some students and their families fall prey to scholarship scams. Help your community members spot and avoid these scams by giving copies of the FTC's brochure, bookmark, or poster about scholarship scams to guidance or career counselors at high schools, PTA presidents, or organizers of local college fairs. You can order these free educational materials at www.ftc.gov/bulkorder.
May
Buying a Home
For most consumers, a home or condo is the biggest purchase they will ever make. To help those you work with understand the ins and outs of home buying, partner with the local housing authority to do a briefing session and distribute copies of Looking for the Best Mortgage available at www.ftc.gov/espanol. Or partner with a local law school to do a briefing session on what's legal - and what's not - in the mortgage lending area.
Gas Savings
As the summer driving season gets closer, you can give consumers gas-saving tips by steering them to www.ftc.gov/savegas, an interactive website with tips about fuel-efficiency. Print the tips and post them on a public bulletin board, or include them in your organization's newsletter as tips of the month.
Mother's Day E-Card
Send a Mother's Day e-card with tips from the FTC on how to keep personal information secure. The "Send to a Friend" feature allows the recipient to forward it to others. It's a fast, free, and easy way to send valuable information. The e-card is available in English and Spanish at www.ftc.gov/mom and www.ftc.gov/madre.
June
Buying a Car - New or Used
Organize a car buyer's information fair and give out free FTC publications about buying a new car, reading car ads, alternative fuel vehicles, used car auctions, vehicle financing, improving gas mileage in your vehicle, and leasing or renting a car. They are available at www.ftc.gov/espanol.
Father's Day E-card
A free Father's Day e-card has tips on "phishing," a scam in which Internet fraudsters send email spam or pop-up messages to trick you into giving them your personal information. The e-card is available in English and Spanish at www.ftc.gov/dad or www.ftc.gov/padre.
July
Saving on Cooling Bills
With the heat of summer bearing down, consumers want to keep their cool. Find tips on keeping home energy costs lower at www.ftc.gov/energysavings and www.ftc.gov/ahorraenergia. Send an email with the link to your contacts or visit www.ftc.gov/ftc/consumer/partners_buttons.html and post an energy savings button on your website.
Work at Home
Fraudulent promoters use the classified ads and the Internet to tout all kinds of offers, from medical billing and envelope stuffing to assembly work, promising easy money for easy work. Use the information at www.ftc.gov/workathome to educate others on how to avoid work-at-home scams. Print Work at Home Schemes or Take This Scheme and Stuff It: Avoiding Envelope-Stuffing Rip-Offs and place them on bulletin boards where local jobs are posted or distribute them at sites where people look for work.
Hurricane Preparedness
When the calendar says July, the weather man is talking about hurricanes. It's a good time to remind people how to be prepared. Find information about flood insurance, financial readiness in case of an emergency, and other information on how to prepare for - and recover from - an emergency at www.ftc.gov/hurricanerecovery.
August
Advanced-Fee Loan Scams
Marketers of advance-fee loans target consumers who may have bad credit or may have been turned down for a loan in the past. They tell consumers that they are "guaranteed" to received a loan, regardless of their credit history, but to take advantage of the offer the consumer must pay a fee in advance. The consumer pays the fee, but the loan never materializes, and the consumer loses the fee, which can be hundreds of dollars. Help others resist the temptation to follow up on an advanced-fee loan; it's probably a scam. Use the information in The Truth About Advanced-Fee Loans to write a short article for your newsletter.
International Driver Licenses
Residents of foreign countries who are in the U.S. often are confused about the validity of international driver permits and could waste their money thinking these so called "licenses" grant them permission to drive a car in the United States. To clarify the issue, use the information in the FTC's consumer alert, Ads for International Drivers' Licenses or Permits Could Be a Dead End, available at www.ftc.gov/espanol.
September
Be on the Alert Against Fraud
Partner with the local police department or the local consumer protection agency and hold a community awareness briefing on fraud prevention. Give consumers information about how to avoid becoming victims. Use materials from the FTC's Ojo! Be on the Alert Against Fraud. Stay Informed with the FTC campaign, at www.ftc.gov/ojo. The campaign materials include a brochure, a bilingual fact sheet with tip-offs to rip-offs, a bilingual fan with consumer tips, and radio public service announcements in Spanish.
You also can use the FTC's Read Up! How to be an Informed Consumer as your guide to talk to people about their consumer rights, common scams, and how to file a complaint. Order copies of these materials at www.ftc.gov/bulkorder or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP and give them out in your community.
Diversity Visa/Green Card Lottery
Each year, the State Department conducts a lottery through its diversity visa program to distribute applications for 50,000 immigrant visas. Winners of the lottery have a chance to apply for an immigrant visa, which can be used to enter the U.S. Winners are selected randomly, and there is no fee to enter the lottery. If you work with immigrant communities, distribute Diversity Visa Lottery: Read the Rules, Avoid the Rip-Offs available at www.ftc.gov/espanol.
October
National Cyber Security Awareness Month
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, coordinated by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). This is a great time to join national awareness efforts and talk to people about staying safe online. Visit OnGuardOnline.gov to get ideas on how to promote online safety. Order Stop.Think.Click, a brochure, and bookmarks with 7 Practices for Safer Computing. Play the interactive quizzes on OnGuardOnline, watch the free videos and animated tutorials, and encourage others to gather with family and friends to do the same.
Ask the network administrator of your organization to place a "quick-jump" button linking to OnGuardOnline.gov from your organization's web page. You can find "quick-jump" buttons at OnguardOnline.gov/partners.html.
November
Weight Loss and Miracle Cures
Bogus weight loss products and miracle cures are not only a waste of money, they can also be dangerous to your health. Distribute FTC brochures about weight loss or miracle cures at health fairs, town hall meetings, and community seminars, or write an article about these important topics for your newsletter. You might help someone forget about the empty promises of cure-all products and get the help they need. More information is available at www.ftc.gov/espanol. Look for information on diet, health, and fitness.
Franchise and Business Opportunities
People who want to be their own boss often are tempted by ads for a franchise or business opportunity. By hosting a workshop with the government agency in your state that regulates business opportunities or a local university or adult education center, you can help people find out what they need to know to avoid being victims of a fraud. Visit www.ftc.gov/bizopps to find consumer information on this topic; go to the "Resources" page to find state-specific information.
December
Holiday Shopping
As the holiday shopping season gets underway, encourage people to shop wisely by following some holiday shopping tips at www.ftc.gov/holiday. And to help them be safe while shopping online year-round, tell them about the online shopping tips at OnGuardOnline.gov/shopping.html.
Gift Cards
Gift cards are increasingly popular, particularly during the holiday season. Consumers should know that, whether purchased from a retailer or a financial institution, gift cards may come with strings attached. In particular, they should know that some gift cards have expiration dates; others have fees that can lessen the card's value, including activation fees, transaction fees, monthly maintenance fees, and inactivity or non-use fees. A consumer alert from the FTC Buying, Giving, and Using Gift Cards, available at www.ftc.gov/espanol, offers consumer tips.
Prepaid Calling Cards
Prepaid calling cards can be very useful - but also can have some hidden costs. To help people understand how these cards work, what to watch out for when buying a card, and what to do if they have problems, give them a copy of Buying Time: The Facts About Prepaid Calling Cards, available at www.ftc.gov/espanol.