Did you know that there’s a week set aside in March for understanding our rights as consumers and familiarizing ourselves with scams? This week National Consumer Protection Week falls on March 5th– 11th so today we’ll be focusing on our rights as consumers, how to stay informed about current scams, and what to do if you or someone you love is a victim of a scam.
Consumer Rights
- Per the Consumer Protection website: “The Consumer Protection Act applies to goods and services leased or purchased for personal, family and household purposes; prohibits price gouging, failing to reveal facts material to a sale, misrepresenting the source or geographic origin of goods or services, and many other unfair and deceptive business practices […].”
- Click here to stay up to date on product safety and recalls.
Staying on top of scams
- Keep in mind these common scam tactics:
- Pressuring you to make a decision in the moment
- Requesting payment- especially by money wiring or gift card
- Follow reputable agencies that talk about scam prevention
- MI Attorney General Consumer Alerts
- Better Business Bureau
- Senior Resource Connect
- Blog: Common Scams of 2022
- Blog: The 12 Scams of Christmas
- Blog: Avoiding Scams- COVID19 Edition
- Protect yourself
- Medicare/your bank/ and other trusted organizations will NEVER call you to ask or confirm personal information
- If something seems too good to be true, it probably is
- If in doubt, you can always hang up and call the organization trying to call you directly.
- Don’t recognize the number? Don’t pick up!
Victims of Scams
- Know the warning signs of identity theft (via MI Attorney General’s Office)
- To report a scam, file a complaint or get additional information, contact the Michigan Department of Attorney General toll-free at (877) 765-8388 or click here to use their online complaint form.
- You can also report scams to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Stay safe out there!
