Consumer Information
The consumer information links noted below exist to assist consumers locate information that may be useful to them and provide guidance in how to file complaints when appropriate.
Consumer Fraud (DOJ/Criminal Division/Fraud Section)
A series of subjects can be searched for from this website such as Internet Fraud, Telemarketing Fraud, Identity Theft, and other fraud related subjects.
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) was established as a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) to serve as a means to receive Internet related criminal complaints and to further research, develop, and refer the criminal complaints to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement and/or regulatory agencies for any investigation they deem to be appropriate. The IC3 was intended, and continues to emphasize, serving the broader law enforcement community to include federal, as well as state, local, and international agencies, which are combating Internet crime and, in many cases, participating in Cyber Crime Task Forces.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Response Center
You can file a complaint with the FTC against a company or organization that you believe has cheated you by contacting the Consumer Response Center by phone: toll free 877-FTC-HELP (382-4357); TDD: 202-326-2502; by mail: Consumer Response Center, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20580; or through the Internet, using the FTC's online complaint form. Complaint information is entered into the FTC's Consumer Sentinel system for use by law enforcement agencies, plus consumers can access the public portion of Consumer Sentinel for important consumer tips and fraud trends. Although the Commission cannot resolve individual problems for consumers, complaints to the FTC help it investigate fraud, and can lead to enforcement action by the FTC or another agency. Additionally, the FTC provides consumer information on a wide variety of matters covering topics such as automobiles, credit, identity theft, and investments.
FirstGov (Your First Click to the U.S. Government)
"FirstGov" is a US government website. It is a self-described "easy-to-search, free-access website designed to give [consumers] a centralized place to find information from local, state, and U.S. Government Agency websites." It searches by audience, topic and service, then identifies, via links, government agencies or materials that may be of help to you.
If consumers encounter difficulty using FirstGov they may wish to contact the National Contact Center, http://www.info.gov/ which specializes in direct telephone assistance to callers who are trying to locate information in any format on Federal agencies, programs and services. Consumers may call the toll-free number at 1-800-FED-INFO (1-800-333-4636) between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. Users of text telephones, TTY/TDD, should call 1-800-326-2996.
For consumer publications, go to http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov where you can download or order publications on a wide variety of consumer topics and access the Consumer Action Handbook.
Consumer.gov (Your resource for consumer information from the federal government)
"Consumer.gov" is a US government site that describes itself as a "'one-stop' link to a broad range of federal information resources available online. It is designed so that you can locate information by category -- such as Food, Health, Product Safety, Your Money, and Transportation. A connection to, including an agency description, of a large number of AGENCIES is also available through this site.
Consumer Action Handbook (2008 Edition)
The Consumer Action Handbook (2008 Edition), available at the Consumer Action Website through the Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC) is valuable information that no consumer should be without. It provides advice and consumer tips on: car repair, purchase, and leasing; shopping from home; avoiding consumer and investment fraud; home improvement and financing; choosing and using credit cards wisely; and much more. Also included is the Consumer Assistance Directory with thousands of names, addresses, telephone numbers, web site and e-mail addresses for national consumer organizations, better business bureaus, corporations, trade associations, state and local consumer protection offices, state agencies, military consumer offices, and Federal agencies. The FCIC also maintains the National Contact Center which provides access to useful consumer information plus links to federal and state agencies. For consumers with questions, the National Contact Center has a toll-free contact number, 1-800-FED-INFO (333-4636) , available between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time.