WHAT:
Press conference to kickoff National Consumer Protection Week to alert Utahns of all ages to the most current scams, scoundrels and schemes, and how to avoid them.

WHO:
Executive Director of the Utah Department of Commerce Francine A. Giani; Director Utah Division of Consumer Protection Kevin Olsen; U.S. Postal Inspector Randy Tuckett, and Postal Service Consumer Affairs Manager Ron Hubrich.

WHEN:
10:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 9, 2010

WHERE:
Urban Room, Salt Lake City Library, 209 East 500 South

BACKGROUND:
The U.S. Postal Service, the Postal Inspection Service are joining with the Utah Division of Consumer Protection to announce the 12th Annual National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), March 7-13.  This coordinated consumer education campaign encourages individuals across the country to take full advantage of their consumer rights.

This year’s theme ― Dollars & Sense:  Rated “A” for All Ages ― highlights the importance of using good consumer sense at every stage of life ― from grade school to retirement.  In recognition of NCPW 2010, the Postal Service and its partners are promoting free resources to help people protect their privacy, manage money and debt, avoid identity theft, understand credit and mortgages and steer clear of frauds and scams. 

The message of National Consumer Protection Week 2010 is simple: It’s never too early or too late to become a more informed and empowered consumer. Regardless of your age or financial situation, there are useful lessons to learn about protecting privacy and avoiding scams and fraud schemes. The Postal Service encourages everyone to visit the NCPW website, www.consumer.gov/ncpw, and the U.S. Postal Service/Postal Inspection Service website, www.deliveringtrust.com, dedicated to fraud education and prevention for tips.

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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/news.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 26th in the 2008 Fortune 500.