Consumer Sentinel is an
essential tool for local, state and federal law enforcement officials. Law
enforcers, using a restricted access website, can see the hundreds of
thousands of consumer complaints in Consumer Sentinel to spot trends and
build cases against scam artists.
Consumer Sentinel allows
agencies to investigate allegations that cross jurisdictional boundaries. It
is often very difficult for law enforcement officers to pursue complaints
against rip-off artists operating across state lines or even national
borders. By accessing complaints in Consumer Sentinel, local, state, federal
and international law enforcers can build more effective cases to shut down
cross-border frauds.
Consumer Sentinel works to fight
fraud. Consumer Sentinel has been instrumental in hundreds of successful
enforcement actions in the United States and Canada. These actions have
returned millions of dollars to fraud victims in the United States and
abroad.
Accessing complaints in Consumer
Sentinel is fast, easy and free. So is joining Consumer Sentinel. Contact
the Consumer Sentinel project team toll-free at 1.877.701.9595 or at sentinel@ftc.gov
for more information about how to join. The Consumer Sentinel public
website, www.consumer.gov/sentinel,
offers more information about how law enforcers use Sentinel to report and
access complaints to fight fraud.
Consumer Sentinel: The Cybertool
for FraudBusters. When you use Consumer Sentinel, you have access to
hundreds of thousands of consumer fraud complaints. If you enter complaints
into Sentinel, you make those complaints available to every law enforcer who
uses Sentinel. That information is the key to effectively prosecuting
rip-off artists—including those who prey on consumers in your community.
Suspect a scam? Use Consumer
Sentinel to investigate fraud complaints.
Consumer Sentinel is a secure,
online cybertool and complaint database used by hundreds of civil and
criminal law enforcement agencies in the United States and abroad. The U.S.
Postal Inspection Service, Canada’s PhoneBusters, the Better Business
Bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission and many other organizations have
entered Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related
complaints into Sentinel. You can use Consumer Sentinel to help protect your
community from fraud. It offers a variety of tools to facilitate
investigations and prosecutions, including:
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electronic alerts about
particular companies and practices
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information to help agencies
coordinate effective joint action
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an index of audiotapes of
fraudulent telemarketing sales pitches
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analysis of fraud trends
Consumer Sentinel is more than a
database of consumer complaints. It also offers Internet resources,
references telemarketing statutes across the country, gives sample
litigation documents, and generates a data clearinghouse on identity theft.
The Texas Office of the Attorney General has used each of these Consumer
Sentinel features and found each one helpful in our work."
– Kirsten Niedzwecki, chief
investigator for the Texas Office of the Attorney General.
For more information about how
Consumer Sentinel helps law enforcers report and access complaints to fight
fraud, visit the public website of Consumer Sentinel www.consumer.gov/sentinel,
or call toll-free, 1.877.701.9595.
Use Consumer Sentinel’s
Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse.
Consumer Sentinel’s Identity
Theft Data Clearinghouse is the nation’s repository for identity theft
complaints. Created under the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act
of 1998, it began operation in 1999. The FTC established the Identity Theft
Toll-Free Hotline, 1.877.IDTHEFT (1.877.438.4338), and the ID Theft Website,
www.consumer.gov/idtheft, to
give identity theft victims one place to report their problems and receive
helpful information.
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The Clearinghouse, an
integrated part of the Consumer Sentinel system, contains more than
70,000 complaints to date. This information provides law enforcement
agencies with a broad range of complaints and helps them spot patterns
of illegal activity.
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The information lets
policymakers know the extent of identity theft and how it happens (e.g.,
credit card vs. loan fraud, etc.).
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The information helps
private organizations better protect consumers from identity theft.
Spot It. Report It. Solve It.
The Federal Trade Commission
Working For The Consumer
The FTC works For The Consumer
to prevent fraudulent,deceptive and unfair business practices in the
marketplace and provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid
them. To file a complaint, or to get free information on a wide range of
consumer topics, call toll-free, 1.877.FTC.HELP (1.877.382.4357), or visit www.ftc.gov.
TOP COMPLAINT CATEGORIES*
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Investment Scams
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Business Opportunities and
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Work-at-Home Plans
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Prizes, Sweepstakes and
Lotteries
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Travel, Vacation and
Timeshare Schemes
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Pyramid Plans and Chain
Letters
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Internet Services and
Computer Complaints
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Internet Auctions
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Advance-Fee Loans and Credit
Cons
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Health Claims
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Magazine and Buyers Club
Deals
