Attorney General Steven Rowe Announces 9Th Annual "National Consumer Protection Week"

February 5, 2007

The Maine Office of the Attorney General has joined a group of federal, state, and local government agencies and national consumer advocacy organizations to launch the ninth annual National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), February 4-10, 2007. NCPW highlights consumer education efforts in the fight against fraud across the nation and here in Maine. This year, NCPW's national organizers encourage everyone to read up and reach out to be an informed consumer. By gathering and sharing information, consumers can be more confident, savvy, and safe in the marketplace.

Rowe stated, "The Attorney General's office works to protect consumers through education, advocacy and enforcement of the laws. If a person gets his or her identity stolen or is caught in a scam, the financial impact can be felt for years. My office encourages everyone to empower themselves by becoming savvy consumers."

Fraudulent promotions seek to exploit people's financial fantasies, needs, and optimism. But informed consumers are better able to see through frauds and deceptions, whether they take the form of questionable claims in an ad, "breathless" offers that come in the mail or by email, or schemes that sound like sure-fire successes.

NCPW partner organizations provide practical – and tactical – tips so consumers can learn and tell others how to make well-informed purchase decisions, avoid scams, protect their personal information, and file a complaint if they're not satisfied. "There is a wealth of information available to help consumers protect themselves. By spending just a few minutes on the AG's website (www.maine.gov/ag) Maine consumers can significantly boost their marketplace IQ." Rowe added

Organizers of this year's NCPW are the Federal Trade Commission , the Federal Citizen's Information Center , the U.S. Postal Service , the U.S. Postal Inspection Service , the Federal Communications Commission, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation , the Comptroller of the Currency, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators , the National Consumers League , AARP, the Better Business Bureau , Call for Action, the Consumer Federation of America, and the National Association of Attorneys General. You can find out more information on NCPW at www.consumer.gov/ncpw.

DAVID LOUGHRAN, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (207) 626-8577 OR david.loughran@maine.gov