Helping Hispanics avoid fraud

Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15 - Oct 15) is a time to celebrate the rich culture, heritage, and contributions of Hispanics. It is also a time to reflect on the FTC’s commitment to help Hispanic communities fight fraud.

Earlier this year, the FTC brought together key Hispanic leaders from national and local organizations for a robust roundtable discussion devoted to understanding the unique issues and concerns affecting their communities. Their message was simple: empower more Hispanics to fight fraud and scams. Hispanic Heritage Month is the perfect opportunity to do that. The FTC has a ton of sharable resources (including videos) to help spread the word about fraud and scams in English and Spanish.

A great place to start is Consumer.gov, which offers consumer topics in plain and simple language like managing your money, credit loans and debt, and scams and identity theft. Pass It On is a bilingual resource that empowers older adults to help others spot and stop scams. And let’s not forget the popular series of fotonovelas, which include Talking About Scams, Notario Scams, and Government Imposters, that help alert Hispanics about the scams most targeting them.

During Hispanic Heritage Month and throughout the year, you can help us continue helping people in your community by talking about scams, and encouraging them to report fraud at ftc.gov/complaint. Need bilingual materials to distribute at schools, events, workshops, clinics, or community centers? Visit ftc.gov/bulkorder to get free copies. Our FTC videos are also easy to share on social media to show people all the ways to avoid fraud. You can also subscribe to our blog, or follow us on Twitter @laFTC, for the latest tools and tips on avoiding scams.