U.S. Postal Service Launches 2009 National Consumer Protection Week Awareness Event @ Ventnor Senior Center

“Nuts and Bolts: Tools for Today’s Economy”

What:
Postal Service officials will host an awareness event to celebrate National Consumer Protection Week. Officials from various agencies will offer tips, distribute DVDs and brochures warning against identity theft and fraudulent schemes, providing consumers with valuable information about protecting their financial assets from these types of crimes, as well as ways to report suspected financial fraud.

Who:
United States Postal Service
United States Postal Inspection Service
U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg’s office
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez’ office
NJ Assemblyman Vincent Polistina
Atlantic County Consumer Affairs

When:
10 a.m.
Monday, March 2, 2009

Where:
Ventnor Senior Citizen Center, Community Library Building
6500 Atlantic Av

Background:
National Consumer Protection Week, set for March 1-7, is a national program led by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to draw attention to issues and recommendations that help customers become smarter consumers of products, materials and services, and improve their knowledge of how to combat fraud of any type.

The U.S. Postal Service Office of Consumer Advocate and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are working to educate consumers about identity theft and fraudulent schemes. The Postal Service will provide consumers with the tools and information needed to combat these types of crimes.

According to the National Consumers League, reported losses from one type of mail fraud alone – fraudulent schemes – quadrupled in three years. Each victim of this type of scam loses an average of $4,000.

The Postal Service will point customers to the website established by the Postal Inspection Service and its business partners: http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/ and www.FakeChecks.org.

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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes, six days a week. It has 34,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.