In a report to Congress, the Federal Trade Commission affirmed its commitment to protect American Indian and Alaska Native communities "from scams, frauds, and bad business practices." The report was submitted to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Natural Resources of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Committee on Indian Affairs of the U.S. Senate, as required by the Protecting Indian Tribes from Scams Act of 2022.
In the report, the FTC reported on its efforts to learn about how American Indian and Alaska Native communities are affected by consumer protection issues and said that it "plans to continue expanding outreach and encouraging research to identify emerging issues that may disproportionately affect AI/AN populations." The FTC further explained that this research will lead to "expanded -- and more targeted -- work to prevent and protect AI/AN communities from unfair or deceptive acts or practices."
The FTC indicated that American Indian and Alaska Native communities faced many of the same types of frauds that other communities face, including frauds related to auto purchasing and financing, predatory lending, online phishing, impersonator scams, tech support scams, Facebook Marketplace and Amazon scams, sweepstakes and other prize scams, and online romance scams.
Regarding its enforcement efforts, the FTC explained that, "Aggressive law enforcement is a key component in the FTC's efforts to protect consumers, including AI/AN consumers." The FTC further explained that, "Deliberate efforts are necessary to ensure the FTC's law enforcement efforts are responsive to the needs of the diverse communities the Agency serves."
The FTC highlighted its Tate's Auto enforcement action, where the FTC charged a group of four auto dealers operating in Arizona and New Mexico, near the border of the Navajo Nation, with a range of illegal activities -- including disseminating deceptive car advertising.
Finally, the FTC explained that it launched a new section of its website directed to American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
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