    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 134, 116th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Proclamation 9991 of February 28, 2020
    National Consumer Protection Week, 2020
    By the President of the United States of America
    A Proclamation
    Since my election, the United States economy has experienced a historic
    revitalization. Americans across our country have been the beneficiaries
    of and the driving force behind this extraordinary resurgence. Wages are
    growing at their fastest rate in a decade; the unemployment rate has
    reached its lowest level in half a century; and for the first time on
    record, there are more job openings than unemployed Americans. The
    vitality of our economy has led to high levels of consumer confidence.
    Even as we grow more prosperous, however, we must remain vigilant for
    bad actors seeking to harm and exploit honest and hardworking people
    through deception and other nefarious tactics. During National Consumer
    Protection Week, we reaffirm our commitment to safeguarding the American
    consumer from malicious practices and strengthening our efforts to
    prevent and prosecute fraud.

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    Scammers erode consumer confidence, impede the success of businesses,
    and steal hard-earned money from Americans. A popular tactic deployed by
    these corrupt individuals is to exploit Americans' trust in their
    government by falsely claiming to be a government employee or to be
    affiliated with a government agency. In 2019 alone, my Administration
    recorded nearly 400,000 reports of criminals representing themselves as
    affiliates of the Social Security Administration, law enforcement
    agencies, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Internal
    Revenue Service. Some of these con artists tell people that their Social
    Security number has been suspended and threaten to freeze their assets
    unless they comply with demands for money or personal information.
    Frightened consumers are tricked into sending away thousands of dollars,
    mistakenly believing their money will be more secure or that they will
    avoid fines or penalties. These types of ploys can be especially harmful
    to retired Americans who rely on monthly Social Security payments as
    their main source of income.
    To protect yourself from these vile criminals, do not trust caller ID,
    which scammers can easily manipulate to conceal their identity. Never
    respond to unsolicited incoming calls or correspondence. Instead,
    contact the real agency on your own. Additionally, report the potential
    imposter immediately to the Federal Trade Commission.
    My Administration is committed to using every available resource to
    protect consumers and bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice.
    That is why I signed an Executive Order establishing the Task Force on
    Market Integrity and Consumer Fraud to enhance efforts by the Department
    of Justice to investigate and prosecute cases of fraud on behalf of
    Americans, including the elderly, veterans, and service members. In
    order to help Americans better protect themselves against identity
    theft, I also signed into law legislation allowing consumers to contact
    each of the three major credit reporting agencies and to have their
    credit reports frozen for free. Additionally, last year, the Department
    of Justice announced the largest ever coordinated elder fraud
    enforcement action, which identified more than 260 defendants who had
    victimized more than 2 million Americans. The Department of Justice has
    also taken strong action to block foreign scammers from making billions
    of fraudulent robocalls to American consumers.
    During National Consumer Protection Week, government agencies, industry
    representatives, community groups, and consumer organizations come
    together in support of the same mission--protecting our Nation's
    consumers. Consumers are at the heart of our thriving economy, and
    protecting them must be a shared goal throughout government and across
    the private sector. This month, we remind all Americans to avail
    themselves of public and private resources available to them to
    safeguard their personal and financial information and to protect
    against fraud.
    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 1 through March
    7, 2020, as National Consumer Protection Week. I encourage individuals,
    businesses, organizations, government agencies, and community groups to
    take advantage of the broad array of resources offered by the Federal
    Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the
    Department of Justice, and to share

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    this information through consumer
    education activities in communities across the country.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day
    of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty, and of the
    Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
    fourth.
    DONALD J. TRUMP