For Immediate
Release:
February 24, 2021
Consumer
Affairs to host virtual presentation to mark Consumer Protection Week
Seeks to educate
residents about fraud, scams and theft
FREEHOLD, NJ – In recognition of National Consumer
Protection Week (NCPW), the Director of the Monmouth County Division of
Consumer Affairs, David M. Salkin, will host a virtual presentation, “Protect
Yourself From Smart Scammers,” through Zoom on Thursday, March 4 at 10:30 a.m.
Each year, Monmouth County joins with federal,
state, local government agencies and national organizations to celebrate NCPW
from Feb. 28 through March 6, encouraging residents and businesses to learn
more about avoiding scams and understanding consumer rights.
“Scam artists are targeting senior citizens by
offering them COVID-19 vaccines and asking them to pay for the vaccine or to be
put on a waiting list,” said Commissioner Lillian G. Burry, liaison to the
Division of Consumer Affairs. “Residents need to be mindful that they will
never be asked to give out their personal information such as Social Security
number, credit card information, Medicare identification or asked for payment
over the phone to receive the COVID-19 vaccine or to be placed on a waitlist.
To learn how to protect yourself from these and other frauds, register at www.MonmouthCountyLib.org for the
virtual presentation.”
“The County reminds residents to be cautious before
responding to phone and computer inquiries. Criminals using computers and
phones are good at what they do and are convincing,” said David M. Salkin,
Director of Consumer Affairs. “Residents need to be aware of these frauds and
scammers in order to protect themselves.”
The Division of Consumer Affairs offers these additional
tips:
- Only do business with
reputable companies – make sure you trust the business and it is an established
organization with a credible reputation.
- Do not use your primary
email address in online submissions – submitting your email address could result
in spam. If you do not want your primary email account flooded with
unwanted messages, consider opening an additional email account for use
online.
- Avoid submitting credit
card information online.
- If you must shop online,
devote one credit card to those purchases – keep a minimum credit line on
the account to limit the amount of charges an attacker can accumulate.
- Avoid using debit cards for
online purchases – credit cards usually offer some protection against
identity theft and may limit the monetary amount you will be responsible
for paying. Debit cards, however, do not offer that protection.
- Avoid allowing a website to
remember your password. If your password is stored, your profile and any
account information you have provided on that site are readily available
if an attacker gains access to your computer.
“Monmouth
County residents are exposed to scam artists through their phones, email and
online shopping,” said Commissioner Burry. “The Division of Consumer Affairs
offers free educational programs to help protect residents against scams, such
as this virtual event, all year long.”
Consumer Affairs is the civil arm of the State
Attorney General’s Office. It is created and funded by the Monmouth County
Board of County Commissioners and protects against consumer fraud and dishonest
business practices by enforcing the state Consumer Fraud Act and many other
regulations.
Additional information about cyber scams and
consumer affairs programs can be found on the County website www.visitmonmouth.com, by calling
732-431-7900 or emailing counsumeraffairs@co.monmouth.nj.us.
The office is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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