By Lori Lee
NDG Contributing Writer
As the nation’s consumer protection agency, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) works to stop fraud, deception and unfair business practices. As Deputy Director for the Bureau of Consumer Protection, FTC, Monica Vaca explained, the Commission does this through enforcement, through education and through outreach. It explains to people their rights and to businesses their responsibilities, and it provides this information online, virtually, in print, and in person.
The FTC is encouraging people if they spot a scam or suspicious activity, to report it even if they did not respond to the scam with money, Vaca noted. This is important not only to inform the FTC’s law enforcement efforts, but because it can help the agency spot activity and educate others about the potentially harmful activity that is happening around them.
The FTC recently enhanced its call center and Consumer Sentinel Network, the FTC’s reporting database that collects reports from consumers and businesses. The agency has long been able to take reports in both English and Spanish, though taking information in other languages has presented many challenges.
Through the agency’s new Language Access Initiative, it is now able to take reports in twelve different languages and translate in up to 80 languages. The agency hopes that by overcoming language barriers, the initiative will improve the accuracy of reporting.
Because people tend to believe words spoken in their own language, communication in one’s native tongue helps establish trust, said lawyer and journalist Jongwon Lee. This trust will inspire people to come forward, expressed Lee, and it will help immigrants learn about the government agency that is there to help them.
Vaca added, the initiative will help the FTC spot potentially harmful activity in diverse communities, such as in the wake of the Hawaii wildfires. It is common for scammers to target victims of disasters. Requests for wire transfers, gift cards, cryptocurrency and cash played on the hopes of the people of Maui during a very alienating time.
The FTC gathered data about the activity, including requests for currency for clean-up and construction and to obtain FEMA funds, and then offered advice on how to avoid the scams and how to get back on track financially, Vaca noted.
The FTC is encouraging consumers to makes reports of financial abuse and scams. In return, the FTC will explain the steps needed to regain their money, said Vaca. Because laws are structured to support consumer rights, which flow from different forms of payment, recommended responses will depend on how a payment was initiated. A person who pays with a credit card has a different set of rights than one who used cash or a check, explained Vaca.
Sometimes, the solution may be as simple as filing a report with a credit card company to dispute a charge. But when a person puts cash in a Federal Express envelope and mails it, the situation becomes more complicated. The FTC then can help make sense of things in a variety of payment scenarios, she said.
The FTC recently mailed materials to thousands of organizations nationwide to educate more communities on the free resources it provides. All of the FTC’s resources live in the public domain, explained Larissa Bungo, senior attorney in the Division of Consumer and Business Education of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, meaning there is no need for copyright concerns or permissions to use the information.
The FTC’s “How to Avoid a Scam” resource includes four warning signs of a scam, explained Bungo. Its fraud handbook for recent immigrants and refugees warns about common scams targeting people with immigration and job scams, she explains, and they offers guidance for business on how to avoid business impersonation and fake invoice scams.
The FTC encourages people to share the information. From FTC.gov/languages, people can make copies or share links, and there are shareable graphics for use on social media, explained Bungo. The FTC encourages the public to share the information.
To report fraud or identity theft, the public can now call the FTC and select option 3 to report in their preferred language. To report fraud, call 877-FTC-HELP and to report identity theft, call 1-877-438-4338.
