Provides referrals to local Better Business Bureaus and information on services available. The Internet site offers excellent descriptions of different types of fraud. 682-1500 Offers free and confidential budget and debt counseling and debt management plans. Provides assistance in obtaining government agency phone numbers. Takes consumers' reports of telemarketing and Internet fraud and relays them to a variety of law enforcement agencies, and provides consumers with advice on how to identify and avoid telemarketing and Internet fraud.
Professional counselors are available to speak to victims in English or Spanish.
Maintains the registry of professionals registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, serves as a clearinghouse for consumer complaints and federal regulatory action, and provides information about investing. Also provides consumer protection information. Maintains a registry of professionals registered with the SEC, provides information on complaints filed against investment firms and individuals and on federal regulatory actions, and provides consumer investment information. Takes reports of social security number misuse, especially incidents relating to fraud. 654-8896 Takes reports of and investigates crimes that involve the U.S. Postal Service, including mail fraud, pornography, and drug transactions by mail, and also provides information on complaints filed by consumers against businesses or individuals.