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Orange County Treasurer Shari Freidenrich is joining government agencies nationwide to commemorate National Consumer Protection Week from March 5 – 11, 2023. Treasurer Freidenrich will be providing tips and resources relating to consumer protection information to protect Orange County residents from falling prey to scams, fraud, and identity theft during National Consumer Protection Week. This annual event marks a time when government agencies work together to promote consumer rights and educate the public on how to spot, report, and avoid becoming a victim of consumer fraud.
“Identity theft and phishing is a massive problem in society today,” Treasurer Freidenrich said. “If consumers learn about the best practices to keep their financial data secure, they have a less likelihood of becoming a statistic. Every year Americans lose billions of dollars in losses and hardship.”
The Federal Trade Commission received 5.2 million victim reports describing more than $8.8 billion in losses to fraud in 2022 compared to $6.1 billion in losses the year prior. In that same time frame, investment scam losses more than doubled from $1.8 billion in 2021 to $3.8 billion last year.
To help combat cybercrime, during Consumer Protection Week Treasurer Freidenrich will distribute free pamphlets and a flyer (scan the QR code below) with website links and consumer protection information. The materials will be available at the County Service Center, and focus on identity theft, scams, and small business and internet safety for children. Information will also be available online at octreasurer.com/financialtips. The FTC and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also have free materials available on various topics such as imposter scams, dealing with debt collection or recovering from identify theft at consumer.ftc.gov/identity-theft-and-online-security.
The County Service Center is located at 601 Ross St., Santa Ana with onsite parking (fee applies) at Parking Lot P4. A parking map is available at octreasurer.com/octaxparking. Also, visit octreasurer.com/financialtips to read the latest from consumer experts and sign up for weekly financial tips.
