FTC Sets Up a Fraud Help Line
The Federal Trade Commission is making it easier for consumers to report fraud to its counselors.
The agency has set up a toll-free Consumer Help Line, (877) FTC-HELP ([877] 382-4357), which will be staffed from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific time, Monday through Friday.
Consumers also can mail complaints to the Consumer Response Center, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20580 or file them electronically by going to the agency’s Web site, https://www.ftc.gov. Last year, the FTC logged more than 60,000 complaints.
The counselors staffing the new toll-free number will not only dispense on-the-spot advice, but also will enter complaints into a database supplied to about 200 U.S. and Canadian law enforcement agencies, helping them to trace patterns and build cases against wrongdoers.
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