NEWS RELEASE
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Olha Rybakoff, Deputy Attorney General
Phone: (302) 577-8513
Date: February 4, 2002
 

ATTORNEY GENERAL BRADY ANNOUNCES

FOURTH ANNUAL NATIONAL CONSUMER PROTECTION WEEK

(Wilmington, DE) - Attorney General M. Jane Brady today announced that she and her Consumer Protection Unit will be making a number of appearances statewide this week to celebrate the fourth annual National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), February 4 - 9, 2002. This year's theme, "Consumer Confidential: the Privacy Story," focuses on helping consumers take precautions against the misuse of their personal information.
 

The Attorney General will be speaking at the following senior centers this week:
 
 

Date	Time	Center	Location
Monday, Feb. 4	10:30 a.m.	Hulling Cove Cheer Center	1141 Savannah Road Lewes, Delaware
	1:00 p.m.	Milford Senior Center	111 Park Avenue Milford, Delaware
Tuesday, Feb. 5	11:30 a.m.	Wilmington Senior Center	1901 Market Street Wilmington, Delaware
Friday, Feb. 8	10:30 a.m.	Bridgeville Senior Center & Slaughter Neck	414 Market Street  Bridgeville, Delaware

  
The Attorney General's Consumer Protection Unit will be speaking at the following senior centers this week:
 

Date	Time	Center	Location
Monday, Feb. 4	11:30 a.m.	St. Peter's Adult Senior Center	6th & Tatnall Streets Wilmington, Delaware
Tuesday, Feb. 5	11:00 a.m.	Nanticoke Senior Center	310 Virginia Avenue Seaford, Delaware
	12:30 p.m.	Harrington Senior Center	102 Flemming Street Harrington, Delaware
Wednesday, Feb. 6	11:00 a.m.	Newark Senior Center	200 White Chapel Drive Newark, Delaware
Thursday, Feb. 7	10:30 a.m.	Georgetown Senior Center	546 S. Bedford St. Georgetown, Delaware
	10:45 a.m.	Modern Maturity Center	1121 Forest Avenue Dover, Delaware
	11:15 a.m.	Mid-County Senior Center	1 Regiment Drive Wilmington, Delaware
Friday, Feb. 8	10:00 a.m.	DeLaWarr Senior Center	19 Landson Lane New Castle, Delaware
	11:00 a.m.	Middletown/Odessa Townsend Senior Center	300 S. Scott Street  Middletown, Delaware

One of the most devastating abuses of personal information is identity theft, which occurs when someone steals information like a Social Security number, birth date or mother's maiden name to open new charge accounts, order merchandise, or borrow money. Consumers targeted by identity thieves usually do not know they have been victimized until collection agencies pursue them to pay accounts they did not even know they had, or they are denied credit because of unpaid debts run up by the criminals.
 

"Consumers must take extra care to protect their confidential financial information," said Attorney General Brady. "Unfortunately, as personal information becomes more accessible, the potential for its misuse increases as well."
 

During NCPW, Attorney General Brady and representatives from her Consumer Protection Unit will be focusing on how consumers can avoid identity theft, recognize fraudulent telemarketers and spot fraudulent e-mail. Attorney General Brady and her Consumer Protection staff will also be at the Concord and Dover Malls this week. All are welcome to visit with representatives of the Attorney General's Office at Concord Mall and Dover Mall from 3:00 -7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 P.m.
 

For more information, you can call the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Unit at 577-8600 in New Castle County, or 800-220-5424 in Kent and Sussex Counties.