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Declaring March 1-7, 2026 as National Consumer Protection Week in the City of Philadelphia.
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WHEREAS, Consumers in the United States reported losing more than $12.5 billion to fraud and scams in 2024, a 25 percent increase over the prior year, according to the latest available data from the Federal Trade Commission. Though anyone can fall victim to fraud or scams, seniors, immigrants, and non-English speakers are often explicitly targeted by scammers; and
WHEREAS, National Consumer Protection Week is a national event where federal, state, and local governments and nonprofit partners highlight efforts to protect consumer rights and provide resources that empower consumers to detect, report, and avoid scams, thereby decreasing their chances of becoming victims of fraud; and
WHEREAS, The Trump Administration's sustained efforts to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which was created by Congress in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, including ordering all staff to cease work, seeking to lay off nearly 90 percent of employees, cutting the agency's funding cap in half through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and dismissing 16 pending enforcement actions, have severely diminished its capacity to protect American consumers, even as courts have repeatedly blocked outright closure its long-term survival remains subject to ongoing litigation; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia's Consumer Protection Ordinance enables the City's Law Department to investigate unfair and deceptive business practices, file civil lawsuits on behalf of residents, and levy penalties of up to $2,000 per violation against businesses that harm Philadelphia consumers. This landmark local law demonstrates the City's commitment to protecting residents in an era of diminishing federal consumer protection enforcement; and
WHEREAS, Protections for Philadelphians from frauds and scams exist in local, state, and federal law; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphians are encouraged to look out f...
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