LOUISVILLE, KY — The U.S. Postal Service has joined a group of federal, state, and local government agencies and national consumer organizations to launch the 11th annual National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), March 1-7.

“NCPW 2009 – Nuts and Bolts: Tools for Today’s Economy” highlights consumer education efforts across the nation. Information can help people get the most for their money, whether they are trying to stretch their paychecks, find a quick fix for a spotty credit history, or tell the difference between a real deal and a potentially fraudulent product or service.

Representatives from the Better Business Bureau, Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Postal Service will be on hand to answer questions from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, in the Louisville Main Post Office lobby, 1420 Gardiner Lane.

"The U.S. Postal Service is proud to be part of this year’s National Consumer Protection Week campaign,” said Consumer Affairs Manager Jenise Hale. “In times like these, information is one commodity that retains its value. We invite everyone to visit www.consumer.gov/ncpw for the tools they can use to make smart choices in the marketplace.”

According to the Federal Trade Commission, scam artists, fraudsters and four flushers follow the headlines, and are likely to be using the economic downturn to take advantage of consumers who may be underwater financially. The NCPW website has tools people can use to recognize a ripoff, sniff out a scam, and make smart choices for today’s market.

Partner organizations have tips on a wide range of topics, from how to get a free credit report to how to spot a telemarketing scam, from how to deal with debt to how to deter and detect identity theft, from how to avoid home and auto repair scams to how to file a consumer complaint with the appropriate authorities.

National organizers of this year’s NCPW include AARP, Call for Action, the Comptroller of the Currency, the Consumer Federation of America, the Council of Better Business Bureaus, the Federal Citizen’s Information Center, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Trade Commission, the National Association of Attorneys General, the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators, the National Consumers League, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Postal Service.

For more information about NCPW, visit www.consumer.gov/ncpw.

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Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/welcome.htm.

An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits every address in the nation — 146 million homes and businesses. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses, not tax dollars. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.