| EAST
ORANGE - Kimberly Ricketts, the Director
of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs,
today joined with the New Jersey Food Council
to alert seniors about consumer fraud issues
and food safety tips at East Orange’s
Norman Towers.
"Seniors
are one of Consumer Affairs’ most
important constituencies - not only because
they are the matriarchs and patriarchs of
our families, neighborhoods and communities
- but because they unfortunately are often
the target of unscrupulous con artists and
fraudulent schemes," Director Ricketts
said. "That’s why it is so important
that seniors remain vigilant against these
types of crimes. We are here today to help
them do exactly that."
Director
Ricketts discussed the role that the Division
plays as the state’s leading consumer
protection agency, with the responsibility
of protecting consumers from fraud in the
marketplace as well as monitoring many businesses
and professions that seniors interact with
on a regular basis.
Specifically,
Director Ricketts cautioned seniors about
identity theft, the fastest growing financial
crime in the country today. While New Jersey
has one of the most comprehensive and easy-to-use
identity theft prevention laws in the nation,
there are steps that seniors can take to
avoid becoming the victims of this crime.
Seniors can:
-
Keep a list of personal financial information
and, if your wallet, credit cards or
checks are stolen, cancel your accounts;
- Shred
anything that has personal identification
information on it including credit card
receipts - and credit card offers that
come in the mail;
- Carefully
review bank statements and bills for
accuracy; and
- Use
common sense when giving out your credit
card and social security information.
At
today’s event, Director Ricketts also
explained that a new Home Improvement Contractor’s
Registration Act, effective at the beginning
of the year, requires all contractors to
register with the Division in order to do
business in New Jersey. Additionally, Ricketts
explained that charities must also be registered
with the state. In both of these cases,
seniors should contact the Division first
before proceeding.
"Before you make any significant investments
or purchases, check it out first with Consumer
Affairs," Ricketts continued. "We
can let you know what regulations exist
to protect you, or what you should look
out for when researching a purchase or a
membership so you have all the information
you need to make a well-informed and safe
decision."
Consumer
Affairs Deputy Director Steve Nolan spoke
to seniors about the pitfalls of lottery
and tax-related scams, cautioning them that,
"If it seems too good to be true, it
probably is." Nolan advised seniors
to be wary if they receive a "prize
notification" from a lottery, to never
pay any money in advance to collect a prize,
and to never provide personal identifying
or financial information, such as your bank
account number, social security number or
credit card details, to a company or person
you do not know.
To
check on the registration status of any
home improvement contractors, charities
or other regulated businesses, or to file
a complaint about potentially fraudulent
behavior, New Jersey consumers are urged
to contact the Division of Consumer Affairs
directly at 800-242-5846
or www.NJConsumerAffairs.gov.
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