NEW HAMPSHIRE ATTORNEY GENERAL JOINS NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO SPONSOR SEVENTH ANNUAL NATIONAL CONSUMER PROTECTION WEEK

Attorney General Kelly A. Ayotte announced today that the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office has joined a group of federal, state and local agencies and national advocacy organizations to launch the seventh annual National Consumer Protection Week. National Consumer Protection Week will be held February 6-12, 2005 and will highlight consumer protection and education efforts around the country. This year’s theme, “Identity Theft: When Fact Becomes Fiction,” focuses on minimizing the risk of identity theft and taking fast action to contain any harm, if an identity thief strikes.

“Everyone should know how to protect their personal information,” said Attorney General Kelly Ayotte. “Keeping track of your credit, safeguarding your wallet, and putting strong passwords on your bank, credit card and phone accounts, can help consumers minimize their risk of identity theft. Many more tips on how to cramp identity thieves are available at www.consumer.gov/ncpw.”

During National Consumer Protection Week, representatives from federal, state and local agencies and national advocacy organizations will help consumers of all ages understand how identity theft happens, the signs to look for, how to reduce the chances of becoming a victim, and how to get help if their personal information is compromised and used to open new accounts.

Organizers of this year’s National Consumer Protection Week are the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Federal Information Center (FCIC), the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Victim’s Rights, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators (NACAA), the California Office of Privacy Protection, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the National Consumers League (NCL), AARP, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Call for Action, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), and the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

“The Attorney General’s Office of New Hampshire is proud to be a partner in sharing the message of the seventh annual National Consumer Protection Week campaign,” said Attorney General Ayotte. “We hope to arm consumers with some tools to limit the harm, frustration and expense that can accompany of identity theft and to let them know how to restore their good name.”

For more information about NCPW, visit www.consumer.gov/ncpw. The Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau of New Hampshire maintains a consumer hotline at (603) 271-3641. It is staffed Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm to assist consumers with questions related to identity theft and other consumer related issues.

For more information, please contact Senior Assistant Attorney General Richard W. Head at (603) 271-1248.