Fraud Protection Resources
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You can lose your entire identity to a complete stranger when fraud is involved.
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Without the right knowledge, many individuals can fall victim to the various faces of fraud such as phishing and scams. Fortunately, there are resources to help protect consumers from fraud. Using these resources will create smarter consumers who will know how to better protect themselves against fraud.
Federal Trade Commission
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This U.S. government agency's primary mission is to protect consumers' buying rights. It has an entire bureau dedicated to preventing fraud. The Bureau of Consumer Protection seeks to find and eliminate fraud by investigating possible cases of fraud, developing new laws that will protect consumers, and educating consumers and businesses on how to avoid fraud in various situations involving money.
The Bureau has seven areas of expertise ranging from finding deception in advertising to privacy and identity protection. The Federal Trade Commission allows online users to check the licensing status of a business and to find particular cases involving fraud.
Better Business Bureau
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Ensure that the business that you are buying from is fair and unlikely to commit fraud.
business is business - cliche image by Jeffrey Zalesny from Fotolia.com
This organization, otherwise known as the BBB, serves to promote a fair marketplace in which, according to their website, "buyers and sellers trust each other." The BBB seeks to accomplish this trust by giving businesses that meet the BBB standards a seal of accreditation. The criteria to become BBB accredited are rather strict, so to receive accreditation from the Bureau is an honor.
Knowing a business is BBB accredited can ensure consumers that they are dealing with a fair business unlikely to commit acts of fraud. The Better Business Bureau's website is a common place for consumers to file and review complaints about businesses.
National Consumers League
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The National Consumers League (NCL) educates consumers on how to avoid fraud and also ensures the fraud complaints it receives are transferred to government agencies as quickly as possible. Consumers can visit Fraud.org to report scams targeted at the elderly as well as telemarketing and Internet fraud.
The organization urges consumers to report suspicion of fraud on its online complaint form so that government agencies can perform related investigations. These complaints are electronically sent to the government agencies within minutes to ensure that actions taken against fraud are done as soon as possible.
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