As part of the Federal Trade Commission’s ongoing initiative to promote consumer education and protection in the Latino community through its fotonovelas series, it recently announced the creation of a new Spanish-language graphic novel. As the third and most recent installment of the FTC’s fotonovelas series, the graphic novel titled “Cobradodres de Dueda”, which is only nine pages in length, offers consumers a user-friendly resource to help them understand their rights when confronted by debt collectors.
The first two installments of the fotonovelas series were focused on income scams. In “Estafa de Ingresos,” the FTC relies on a recent lawsuit, which it filed against a telemarketing company, to illustrate the signs of an income scam, including providing advice to help consumers avoid risks of becoming a victim of an income scam. In “Impostores del Gobierno,” the FTC provided tips to assist consumers in identifying a government imposter, including:
- Being cautious of calls from unidentified individuals who suggest they work for the government and state that you won money in a “grant”, lottery, or contest; and
- Being cautious of calls or emails from unidentified individuals who request that money be wired or that ask you to use a pre-paid card to collect your “prize”.
The takeaway from the FTC’s fotonovelas series: The FTC is looking to expand its message and spread awareness to all consumers, including Spanish-speaking consumers, to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices.