Consumer Agencies Common Scams

1. Consumer AgenciesCommon Scams Period 1

2. Food and Drug Administration • The FDA helps consumers by making sure that food, drugs, and cosmetics are safe for us to buy. • The FDA gets $ 1 trillion worth of products a year and their job to make sure its safe. • It ensures the safety of all food except for meat, poultry and egg products • Ensures the safety and effectiveness of all drugs • And makes sure that cosmetics and medical and consumer products that emit radiation do no harm.

3. National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationBy: Meghan Maglente • Prevents motor vehicle crashes • Ensures highways are safe for everyone • Encourages safe and courteous behavior to pedestrians, drivers, passengers etc. • Oversees motor vehicle safety and equipment

4. Consumer product safety commission By: Kasey Theil • It is a commission that establishes standard safety • We have it to  protect the public against risks of consumer-related products •  Also used to develop uniform safety standards for consumer products • promotes research into causes and prevention of product-related deaths, illnesses, and injuries

5. U.S. Postal Inspection Service- AdiaMcLin They help consumers prevent mail fraud, mail theft, identity theft, and mailbox vandalism. They offer a place to report mailbox vandalisms too. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service helps victims of crimes. They inform victims if the status of an investigation changes. Educate victims about the criminal justice system.

6. FTC Tyler Orr • To Prevent unfair, deceptive, or unfair business • To inform the public of the competitive process • maintain competition by ending anticompetitive business acts • To do so without hindering legitimist businesses

7. US DA - Palsgrove . purpose is to ensure that all American food that is manufactured and consumed is safe, nutritious and sustainable. They enforce regulations about food handling, preparation and manufacturing. they figure out ways to make crops healthier. they employ over 100,000 employees

8. Agency Section 7 RuthThe Better Business Bureau • Help relationships through consumer and business education for public and businesses • Want consumers to feel confident and to help contribute to the business environment • Allow access to information on some companies for consumer • Have dispute resolution to help consumers with businesses • Do not allow false advertising for their consumers • Mutual between business and consumer

9. Consumers Union (Consumer Reports Magazine) • Consumer unions are organizations that look out for the consumer by testing products • This allows for them o provide truthful information to help consumers make informed decisions • These unions are typically non-profit • Makes revenue from Consumer Report Magazine • Does not receive products from companies to stay impartial By Leenah Alas

10. US Drug Enforcement Administration – Mitchell Sullens • It was first established on July 1st 1973 by President Nixon the DEA has been operation for almost forty years. • It enforces the federal drug laws in the US. It is also responsible for drug investigations abroad. • It also serves to support non – enforcement programs dedicated to stopping the selling of illicit drugs. • It’s annual budget is 2.87 billion dollars.

11. National Do Not Call Registry- Aaditya Rawal • Allows you to register for free and forever • Once you are on for 31 days, telemarketers can’t call that number • If they do, you can call them and complain

12. National Consumers League-Tyler Schwallie Purposes… • Identify and Label goods made under fair, safe, and healthy conditions •  Protect and Promote economic and social justice for consumers in the United States and abroad • To represent consumers on Marketplace and Workplace issues

13. Public Utilities Commission Section#12 Period#1 Brandon Tessman Offers billing on utilities Offers advice on what brands to use for the utilities Can call, email, or complain in person.

14. State Licensing Agencies Issue Licenses Gives consumers assurance that the license holder is qualified Doctors, teachers, roofers, hair stylists, architects, and even professional wrestlers By: Michael Morones

15. The Dating ScamTyler Nikolich Characteristics of Dating Scammers: Their picture too attractive They claim to be very wealthy They claim to live in your country but they claim they are working overseas so they can’t visit They profess their love to you very frequently They ask for money They have bad grammar and spelling (they may not speak English) They claim to be widows or widowers

16. Connor Harrell Cash for Gold Scrap Rates- value is measured by the weight and gold content They have the intent to melt the gold after you sell it Many sellers only get one offer and they get scammed Sellers should try and go to as many places to have a choice to see which price is the best Some companies have horrible reviews online but the seller does not know about them

17. Nigerian Phishing Scams • A form of advance fee fraud • Victim is defrauded for monetary gain • Present in Nigeria, Spain, Netherlands, and South Africa • Often an email address is used to gather further information • Methods include key logging, phishing, and false computer viruses

18. Emma O’Brien Checks Scam • Persuades the victim that they have won something, in order to receive their information. • The check is usually only a small amount of the ‘prize’ that you would have won. • After the victim gets the check, they’re instructed to deposit the check and wire the money back to the ‘sponsors’. • The victim will be responsible for the amount of the fake check, and the money that was wired to the scammers.

19. Diet Pill Scam By Mitch Stengel -Beware of FREE TRIALS! They are just scams that could harm your body! -Avoid Asian Diet Pills, not credible in United States, plus can contain toxins to harm our great nation’s population! -Make sure that you read the labels to dieting pills carefully… most counterfeit come from outside countries and have spelling errors in them!

20. Online Auction Scams - Peter Sokalski It is when Online Auctions are actually scams, or the seller commits Fraud. It is usually individuals or scamming enterprises from West Africa and Romania. The most common Scams are: 1. Overpayment- sends a fake check/counterfeit cash 2. Second-Chance Schemes- When Scammers contact “already scammed” people with a second chance to buy their wanted item at a lower price.

21. Online Auction Scams - Peter Sokalski It is when Online Auctions are actually scams, or the seller commits Fraud. It is usually individuals or scamming enterprises from West Africa and Romania. The most common Scams are: 1. Overpayment- sends a fake check/counterfeit cash 2. Second-Chance Schemes- When Scammers contact “already scammed” people with a second chance to buy their wanted item at a lower price.

22. E-mail scams Alex Christakis • People most commonly start hoax emails to see how far their messages will spread. • Some hoaxes start out as a joke aimed towards a specific group, but friends send it out to their friends and the message is out. • A hoax email may have been sent out because the author misinterpreted something and felt the need to let others know about it. • Hoaxes might also be started for the purpose of discrediting a company or individual. • Spammers sometimes create hoax emails as a way of subsequently collecting email addresses.

23. Telemarketing Scams • They say anything to cheat people out of their money • Scammers use fake prizes, products or services as bait. • They can call, email, mail, texts and ads • You might get offers such as: travel packages, credit & loans, exaggerated business, or extended car warranties

24. Working at home scams Section 23 • Having you work from home, doing envelope stuffing, craft assembly, or other tasks where you are (supposedly) paid by company as an employee. • They’ll do anything to cheat people out of their money. • An accessible way to get taken on the part of a scam work at a rate of home company is when they ask a person to pay them money.  • The whole concept is the scam company makes their outstanding income end point potential work at a rate of home employees, not through a real efficient. • By: Anna Lockwood and Samantha Loch

25. State Public Utilities Commissions • Regulate the rates charged: -electric -gas -water companies - sometimes telephone services • Protect consumers from unfair pricing. (public utilities are legal monopolies) • Legal monopolies – company that is allowed to operate without competition.

26. State Insurance Commissions • State government bodies responsible for regulating the activities of insurers and health plans. • Control and approve insurance rates

27. State Licensing Agencies • Issue licenses, or legal permits o conduct business. • Licenses provide assurance to consumers that the license holder is qualified to do service. • These jobs require licenses: -Doctors -Hair Stylist -Teachers -Architects -Roofers -Professional Wrestlers

28. Fair packaging and labeling act Price Discrimination laws Section 24.2 Brooks • Labels truthfully list all things used in the products(ingredients) • Labels must have the name and place of business of the distributor Charging more for the same product or service in markets or to different customers. Business must justify giving a one customer a lower price than another.

29. Customer service-a service to customers before, during and after a purchase. • The importance of customer service is to take care of problems with products • “Many organizations have made a customer service policy or have a variety of options to improve their customer satisfaction levels Customer service