National Consumer Protection Week is March 3-9

March 3 through 9 is National Consumer Protection Week, a time to help consumers understand their rights and avoid frauds and scams. The New Hampshire Banking Department has compiled some resources to help consumers keep their money safe:

• The Federal Trade Commission has webinars in multiple languages and other events planned for the week. Visit the FTC page here. 
• The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has many resources to help consumers avoid fraud and scams as well as information on what to do if you have been the victim of a scam or fraud. Visit the CFPB resources here.
• The FDIC has a “Know your Risk. Protect Your Money” program with information on what to do in the event of a bank failure. Please visit the FDIC here. 
• The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has instructions on what to do if you discover an unauthorized electronic transfer of funds. Please click here for that information. 
• The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau wants you to know that your money is at greater risk when you hold it in a payment app such as PayPal, Venmo and Cash App. To learn more, read the CFPB report here. 
• The Federal Trade Commission has a page dedicated to avoiding and reporting identity theft in multiple languages here. 
• The New Hampshire Banking Department has a page devoted to avoiding scams and fraud. This page lists some commons scams and provides contact information for the New Hampshire Attorney General and other resources if you have been the victim of a scam. The Banking Department’s brochure on avoiding scams, fraud and identity theft can also be found here. 
• The New Hampshire Banking Department Consumer Assistance landing page is a catch-all many of the above resources and can be found here. This page includes and FAQ on escrow, credit score info, help finding your bank, tips for buying a car, housing information such as eviction and foreclosure and much more. 

If you need assistance, please call the New Hampshire Banking Department at (603) 271-3561 or email nhbd@banking.nh.gov