This year, National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) runs from March 2-8, 2014. NCPW is a great opportunity for Post Offices™ and facility managers to strengthen relationships with customers through awareness and education. NCPW helps consumers by providing information, materials, and services to improve their ability to protect themselves from fraud.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service® will ship retail lobby kits to Post Offices to promote NCPW beginning February 27, 2014. The Consumer Advocate and Customer Relations Department endorse using this kit to conduct local events.
The kit includes:
n An introduction/overview.
n National theme.
n Postal Inspection Service retail lobby kit.
n Information links on the web.
n Instructions for ordering publications.
n Suggested activities.
n Message points.
n Remarks for employees speaking at local NCPW events.
n Sample press release.
n Field support contacts.
Information in thie kit will also be available at: http://blue.usps.gov/blue/caweb/events/consumer-protection/.
Introduction and Overview
The field resource kit provides guidance and information to Postmasters and facility managers who opt to conduct local activities to support National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), March 2–8, 2014.
Established in 1998, NCPW is a federal program, led by the Federal Trade Commission, that highlights current fraud issues. Customers can become smarter consumers of products, materials, and services, while improving their ability to combat fraud. NCPW is fully supported by the U.S. Postal Service®.
During NCPW, other federal, state, and local consumer protection agencies — together with consumer organizations and industry associations — are launching consumer protection and education efforts around the country.
Headquarter Partners:
n U.S. Postal Inspection Service®.
n Consumer Advocate and Customer Relations.
Postal Inspection Service NCPW Theme: ‘In a Sweepstakes, You Will Lose if You Pay to Play’
Many companies offer legitimate sweepstakes promotions. They want customers to have an enjoyable experience — and to respond to their offer. They also want to ensure that customers understand they have an equal chance of winning, whether or not they purchase products or services. But some sweepstakes offers are not legitimate, requiring customers to pay fees or suggesting customers can improve their chances of winning if they purchase merchandise. When consumers are asked to pay a processing or insurance fee, or increase their chances of winning by making a small purchase, that’s illegal. Postal Inspectors advise: “DON’T DO IT!”
When you PAY to PLAY…you LOSE.
In a legitimate sweepstakes, you never have to pay a fee or purchase an item to enter or win. It's the law.
Postal Inspection Service Retail Lobby Kit
For use during NCPW, Post Offices will receive a retail lobby display with information for customers. This kit should be assembled and placed in lobbies on March 2, 2014, and removed NLT March 8, 2014.
NCPW Brochure
NCPW Lobby Stand
NCPW Resources
External/Internet Resources
n U.S. Postal Inspection Service fraud website: http://www.deliveringtrust.com/.
n U.S Postal Inspection Service website: https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/
.
n Publications can be downloaded from the public website at www.usps.com. Click About USPS, Forms and Publications, Postal Periodicals, and Publications:
n Publication 280, Identify Theft, http://about.usps.com/publications/pub280.pdf.
n Publication 281, Consumer Fraud by Phone or Mail: Know How to Protect Yourself, http://about.usps.com/publications/pub281.pdf.
n Publication 281-S, El fraude a los consummators por teléfono y por correo, http://about.usps.com/publications/pub281s.pdf.
n Publication 300-A, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Guide to Preventing Mail Fraud, http://about.usps.com/publications/pub300a.pdf.
n Publication 300-A-S, Guìa del Servicio de Inspección Postal de Estados Unidos para Prevenir el Fraude Postal, http://about.usps.com/publications/pub300as.pdf.
n Publication 546, A Consumer’s Guide to Sweepstakes and Lotteries, http://about.usps.com/publications/pub546.pdf
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n Video drama, Truth or Consequences, produced by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, can be viewed and downloaded at http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/pressroom/videos.aspx.
n National Consumer Protection Week website, www.ncpw.gov.
Internal/Intranet Resources
n Check out the publications at the Postal Service™ PolicyNet website before placing an order. Go to http://blue.usps.gov/cpim/ click PUBs.
n Consumer Advocate and Customer Relations NCPW website at http://blue.usps.gov/blue/caweb/events/consumer-protection/.
Order Postal Service Brochures
Postal Service publications make perfect handouts for customers during NCPW. They are also good resources for Postmasters and managers when preparing for the week’s events. Below are some examples that you can order. Use the following information to order these publications from the Material Distribution Center (MDC) using touch-tone order entry (TTOE) at 800-273-1509.
Note: You must be registered to use TTOE. To register, call 800-332-0317, option 1, extension 2925, and follow the prompts to leave a message. Wait 48 hours after registering before placing your first order.
Suggested Activities to Promote NCPW Locally
n Provide your postal employees with information about NCPW activities planned for your area.
n Identify an opportunity where you can invite a local expert to speak at your event. A local Postal Inspector is also recommended, but a representative from a consumer advocacy group or an appropriate regulatory body would also be suitable.
n Collaborate with a financial institution to host an event about foreign lotteries and sweepstakes schemes. Invite a bank or credit union official to talk about what could happen to victims from the financial institution’s perspective.
n Work with a Postal Inspector to inform older citizens about fraudulent schemes. Hold seminars at retirement communities. Postal Inspectors can discuss recent foreign lottery cases and sweepstakes scams, and steps to prevent older Americans from becoming victims.
n Work with local schools, colleges, and universities to have an NCPW event to raise awareness among students, parents, and faculty.
n Work with local Girl and Boy Scout Troops or other community-based youth clubs to educate young people about protecting themselves from fraud and scams.
n Let customers know that for seven consecutive years in a national survey, the U.S. Postal Service has been named the most trusted government agency for protecting consumers’ privacy. Refer customers to www.usps.com for additional information.
n Work with Corporate Communications staff to coordinate media outreach and press coverage of the week, and planned events through media advisories, news releases, letters to the editors at local newspapers, and calls to area reporters.
n Ensure photos are captured that will highlight events and share successes.
Suggested Message Points for NCPW Events
n It’s never too early or too late to become a more informed and empowered consumer. This year, NCPW is working on educating consumers so they can protect themselves from scammers.
n The United States Postal Service is part of the fabric of the nation by binding communities together. Postal Service employees make a difference in every community across the country.
n The Postal Service is committed to maintaining the public’s trust, and has been named the most trusted government agency for the past seven consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute.
n The Postal Inspection Service has a long, proud and successful history of protecting postal employees and customers, and fighting criminals who misuse postal services and products to defraud, endanger, or otherwise threaten the American public.
n The Postal Service is proud to increase awareness about consumer fraud and educate consumers of all ages on how they can better protect themselves from scams.
n Scammers often target older Americans, so Postal Inspectors advise you speak with your older loved ones about foreign lottery and sweepstakes fraud to preserve their financial well-being.
n Monitor all accounts for unusual activity.
n Identify unknown and recurring payments.
n Discuss repeated wire-transfer patterns or check made out to cash.
n Look for stacks of sweepstakes offers or prize notification letters around the home.
n Talk about changes in living conditions — living beneath one’s means, past-due bills, etc.
Even if the person or company has no track record of complaints, a scammer may be familiar with watchdog consumer protection agencies. Don’t hesitate to discuss fraudulent schemes with friends and family. And don’t forget to watch out for those you love — sometimes just a simple “What’s new?” can alert you to the fact that a loved one has become a victim of a scam.
Event Planning Checklist
When planning NCPW events, keep the following suggestions in mind:
n Contact your local postal team — Postal Inspectors, Corporate Communications managers, and Consumer and Industry Contact managers — to see how they can help support fraud prevention events in your community.
n Set a date and secure participants.
n Acquire posters, videos, fact sheets, brochures, and other supplies for the event.
n Secure staging, sound equipment, and a podium.
n Plan signage, including signs and banners.
n Launch a local publicity campaign.
n Draft a sequence-of-events agenda and speaker remarks.
n Plan retail opportunities (i.e. booth, bag stuffers, etc.).
n Prepare ceremony programs and invitations.
n Prepare an Event Flow/Agenda that outlines times and items.
Sample Speech
Good (morning/afternoon/evening).
It’s a pleasure to be with you today.
For the past 16 years, the country has dedicated one full week as National Consumer Protection Week. It is a time when government agencies, consumer protection groups, and industry associations join forces to shine a spotlight on issues and ideas that help people become better consumers of products, materials, and services as well as improve their knowledge of how to combat fraud.
The U.S. Postal Service and the Postal Inspection Service have been members of the Steering Committee for National Consumer Protection Week since 1998, and we are pleased and proud to once again be a part of this year’s effort to help spread the word and increase awareness about consumer protection issues. Customer service and consumer protection are our year-round priorities and we are very proud of the fact that, for more than 200 years, Americans have placed their trust in the mail.
In fact, the Postal Service ranks as the fifth most-trusted company.
We take our universal service obligation — to connect every household and business in the country through the mail — very seriously, and we also know that an educated consumer is the best defense against criminals. That is why we’re doing all that we can to educate, advise, and encourage consumers of all ages to learn how to protect their privacy, avoid identity theft, and steer clear of frauds and scams.
For 200 years, Postal Inspectors have been fighting fraud, securing the mail, and protecting postal customers to promote the honesty and integrity of the American marketplace.
Preventing sweepstakes fraud, which targets consumers, is a high priority for the Postal Inspection Service. That’s why Postal Inspectors are warning the public and encouraging all to share the information with neighbors, friends, and loved ones.
By definition, a sweepstakes is an advertising or promotional device by which items of value (prizes) are awarded to participating consumers by chance, with no purchase or entry fee required to win.
Consumers often ask how companies can afford such substantial prizes. Sweepstakes are so successful in generating attention to their offers that substantial revenues are gained for the companies that sponsor them.
Thousands of corporations give out millions of dollars annually to lucky consumers. Your chances of winning will vary with the number of people who participate in a particular sweepstakes and the number of prizes offered. You should realize, of course, that the chance of winning a large prize is generally quite small. In most cases, you can enter as often as you receive sweepstakes entries, and some companies will accept write-in entries on a postcard. Check the official rules, but remember — there is no chance to win unless you enter.
Advertised prizes should be awarded unless otherwise stated in the rules. Check the official rules to see if all prizes are guaranteed to be awarded. Most sponsors will provide a list of all prize winners if you are interested in receiving this information.
You never have to purchase an item or pay a fee to enter and win a sweepstakes. You always have an equal chance of winning whether or not you order — it’s the law.
If you believe you have received a solicitation in the guise of a sweepstakes, Postal Inspectors advise that the safest way to handle it is to not respond. Report incidents to http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov or call 877-876-2455.
How can you tell if a sweepstakes is legitimate? Thankfully, most sweepstakes are legitimate and appropriate marketing devices. The Deceptive Mail Prevention and Enforcement Act, sometimes referred to as the “Sweepstakes Law,” helps safeguard consumers by placing certain requirements on companies that sponsor sweepstakes contests. At a minimum, sweepstakes sponsors are required to include these statements in their mailings:
n No purchase of a product or service is required to win, and a purchase won’t improve your chances of winning.
n Number, retail value, and complete description of all prizes.
n Name and business address where sponsor can be contacted.
n Entry procedures and eligibility requirements.
n Termination date for eligibility.
n Estimated odds of each prize.
n Winner selection method.
n Geographic restrictions for the offer.
n Approximate dates when winners will be selected and notified.
All required disclosures must be “clear and conspicuous” to consumers.
These tips can help protect you from becoming a victim in a sweepstakes scam. To learn more, visit our fraud education and prevention website at www.deliveringtrust.com.
The Postal Service wants you to learn how to protect yourself from fraudulent schemes, because being educated about fraud could keep you from losing thousands of dollars.
National Consumer Protection Week is the perfect opportunity to make an investment in yourself and your family by educating yourselves about the schemes that are lurking about, seeking to destroy everything you’ve worked so hard to build.
Whatever you do, don’t take this lightly. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that it can’t happen to you or that you’re too smart for this. It’s happened to the best of us. It can and it does happen to people just like you and me.
So, let’s do all we can to put scammers out of business. The only way to stop these crimes is through increased public awareness, education, vigilance, and aggressive law enforcement.
In closing, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of you — our customers — for your business and for trusting us with your mail. It’s truly a pleasure to serve you.
Press Release Template
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: [Name]
[Insert Date] xxxxxxxx@usps.gov
XXX.XXX.XXXX
usps.com/news
U.S. Postal Service Celebrates Consumer Protection Week
(Name) Post Office Tells Consumers How to Avoid Scams and Fraud
[City] — The U.S. Postal Service and the Postal Inspection Service join with government agencies, advocacy organizations and private sector groups nationwide to celebrate National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), March 2-8, 2014. This coordinated, consumer-education campaign encourages individuals across the country to take full advantage of their consumer rights.
“The [Name] Post Office is proud to work with a broad coalition of groups to share tips and information to protect consumers against fraud,” said [Title and Name]. “As one of the most trusted companies and the most trusted government agency, consumers have a high confidence in the mail and expect the Postal Service to protect the privacy of their personal information.”
This year’s theme, In a Sweepstakes, If You Pay to Play — You Lose, highlights the importance of using good consumer sense at every stage of life — from grade school to retirement. In recognition of this week, the Postal Service and its partners are promoting free resources to help people protect their money and learn to recognize and steer clear of frauds and scams.
[Highlight Your 2013 NCPW Activity]
Joining [Name] at the [Name] Post Office, on event date, time, location, were [Title and Name] and members of (Organization).
[Insert Quote From Participant(s) Here]
Established in 1998, National Consumer Protection Week is a federal program, led by the Federal Trade Commission, to draw attention to issues and ideas that help customers become smarter consumers of products, materials and services, and improve their knowledge of how to combat fraud.
For more information about National Consumer Protection Week, visit http://www.deliveringtrust.com/ and www.consumer.gov/ncpw.
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The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
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Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at http://about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm.
For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Inspection Service public relations professional, please go to http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/pressroom/infoquality.aspx.
A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation — 152 million residences, businesses and Post Office™ Boxes. The Postal Service™ receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With more than 31,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com®, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 42nd in the 2012 Fortune 500. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for seven years and the fifth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute. Follow the Postal Service on www.twitter.com/USPS and at www.facebook.com/USPS.
Who protects your mail? The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is one of the oldest federal law enforcement agencies in the country. For more than 200 years, U.S. Postal Inspectors have protected the U.S. Postal Service, secured the nation’s mail system and ensured public trust in the mail. Learn more about the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov.
Area Corporate Communications Managers
Please feel free to contact these individuals for assistance in promoting your events:
Capital Metro
George Maffett
email: george.t.maffett@usps.gov
Telephone: 301-548-1465
Eastern
Paul Smith
email: paul.f.smith@usps.gov
Telephone: 215-863-5055
Great Lakes
Victor Dubina
email: victor.dubina@usps.gov
Telephone: 630-539-6565
Pacific
Don Smeraldi
email: don.a.smeraldi@usps.gov
Telephone: 858-674-3149
Northeast
Maureen Marion
email: maureen.p.marion@usps.gov
Telephone: 860-285-7029
Southern
Polly Gibbs
email: polly.j.gibbs@usps.gov
Telephone: 214-819-8704
Western
John G. Friess
email: john.g.friess@usps.gov
Telephone: 303-313-5130
Postal Inspection Service Contacts
Postal Inspection Service contacts for NCPW can be found at https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/pressroom/infoquality.aspx.
— Consumer and Industry Affairs,
Consumer Advocate and Manager Customer Relations, 2-20-14
