As a member of the House Energy and Commerce, which has jurisdiction of the Federal Trade Commission, I have fought to ensure that Texas consumers are protected from both harmful products and fraudulent services.

 

Identity Theft:
Currently, the largest threat to consumer protection is identity theft. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), identity theft is the most common complaint from consumers in all fifty states. Texas currently ranks fourth in the nation for identity theft complaints to the FTC, with Houston ranking number one within Texas.

 

With simple personal information such as a name, Social Security number, or credit card number, identity thieves can to commit fraud or other crimes in someone else’s name. The implications for victims of identity theft can include damaged credit records, unauthorized credit card charges and bank withdrawals – not to mention the months or years it can take to restore their good names and credit records.

 

Victims of identity theft should file a report with local police and file a complaint with the FTC, which has complaint forms on its website, www.ftc.gov.

 

Do Not Call Registry:
Consumers have long sought the power to reduce the number of telemarketing calls that too often interrupt the precious, yet increasingly limited, time they spend with their families. As a result, millions of American consumers have signed up for the Federal Trade Commission’s Do-Not-Call Registry.

 

The initial Do-Not-Call program was only authorized for 5 years, however, Congress is moving legislation I have cosponsored to make the registry permanent. Additionally, the FTC has stated it will not drop any telephone numbers from the registry based on a five-year expiration period pending final Congressional or agency action on whether to make registration permanent.

 

Consumers who have not registered their phone numbers and would like to be included on the Do-Not-Call list should visit www.donotcall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222.  Consumers can also use this same contact information to file a telemarketing complaint with the FTC.  However, to file a complaint, consumers should make sure to have the date of the call and either the name or the phone number of the company that called.

 

The Federal Trade Commission is dedicated to protecting consumers and ensuring fair competition in the marketplace.  To learn more about the consumer services offered by the FTC, please visit its website at www.ftc.gov.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission also provides a "one stop shop" for product recall announcements.  To access information about product recalls, please visit www.recalls.gov.