[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 133, 116th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9848 of March 1, 2019

National Consumer Protection Week, 2019

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

During National Consumer Protection Week, we redouble our efforts to
prepare Americans to successfully navigate our dynamic market economy.
Fraudulent and deceptive financial practices impede our economic success
by depriving consumers of access to the best, most accurate information
to guide their choices among competing goods and services.
We live in an age of rapidly evolving technology, in which more
Americans conduct their personal and professional business on the
internet and other mobile platforms. While these technological
innovations provide convenience to consumers, they also create
opportunities for scammers, hackers, and identity thieves to commit
cybercrimes. Each year, fraudulent and deceptive practices cost
Americans billions of dollars and generate hours of stress and hardship.
Whether managing bank accounts, paying bills, handling medical records,
or engaging in e-commerce, basic consumer knowledge is critical to
financial wellbeing. This includes being vigilant when providing
personal information--such as social security and bank account numbers--
online, over the phone, or by mail. Consumers should keep their
software--including operating systems, web browsers, and applications--
up to date. They should never provide personal or sensitive information
to anyone who directly or unexpectedly contacts them. By taking these
steps and sharing them with family and friends, especially children and
older Americans, we can help protect against schemes to line the pockets
of unscrupulous actors.
My Administration is strongly committed to protecting consumers from
those who would defraud them. Last year, I signed into law the Economic
Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, which
strengthens protections against identity theft by allowing consumers to
contact each of the three major credit reporting agencies and freeze
their credit reports for free. I also established the Task Force on
Market Integrity and Consumer Fraud within the Department of Justice
(DOJ) to provide recommendations on regulatory and legislative changes
needed to improve the investigation and prosecution of fraud and other
financial crimes that harm Americans. My Administration is also working
to counter the growing threat of fraud committed against older Americans
and has taken action to combat cyber fraud. In February 2018, the DOJ
announced the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in history,
as well as the indictment of 36 cyber criminals in one of the largest
cyber fraud enterprise prosecutions ever.
National Consumer Protection Week is an opportunity to come together as
government, industry, community groups, and organizations in support of
a shared mission--protecting our Nation's consumers. This week, and
throughout the year, I encourage Americans across our country to take
advantage of resources that will help them better safeguard their
personal and financial information so that they can continue to drive
our dynamic economy for decades to come.

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NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 3 through March
9, 2019, as National Consumer Protection Week. I encourage individuals,
businesses, organizations, government agencies, and community groups to
take advantage of the broad array of online resources offered by the
Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and
to share this information through consumer education activities in
communities across the country.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of March,
in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the Independence
of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third.
DONALD J. TRUMP