NCL PROJECTS

LIFESMARTS

LifeSmarts… the ultimate consumer challenge is an educational opportunity that develops the consumer and marketplace knowledge and skills of teenagers in a fun way and rewards them for this knowledge.  The program complements the curriculum already in place in high schools and can be used as an activity for classes, groups, clubs, and community organizations.  LifeSmarts, run as a game-show style competition, is open to all teens in the US in the 9^th through 12^th grades.  Teams of four to five teens compete in district and state matches with the state winners going to the regional and national competition to vie for the national LifeSmarts title.  LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League. 

NATIONAL FRAUD INFORMATION CENTER
The National Consumers League operates the National Fraud Information Center, a toll-free hotline (800-876-7060), which offers help and support to victims of telemarketing and Internet fraud. NCL staff members answer the NFIC hotline, which consumers can call for advice and tips on how to spot and report possible frauds. NFIC provides information on fraud to law enforcement agencies and supplies about 80 percent of the data contained in the U.S. government's national fraud database. Fraud reports are sent within minutes to the enforcement agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general.

INTERNET FRAUD WATCH
Internet Fraud Watch, also a project of the National Consumers League, educates consumers about cyberfraud and provides information to enforcement agencies in the United States, Canada, and other countries. Consumers can ask questions or make fraud reports through NCL's National Fraud Information Center toll-free hotline or via its web site. Reports of suspected Internet fraud are downloaded daily to the telemarketing and Internet fraud database maintained by the Federal Trade Commission and the National Association of Attorney's General. Reports are also provided to more than 150 other law enforcement agencies to alert them to scams they may wish to investigate.

ALLIANCE AGAINST FRAUD IN TELEMARKETING AND ELECTRONIC COMMERCE (AAFTEC)
The Alliance Against Fraud in Telemarketing and Electronic Commerce was formed by the National Consumers League to raise public awareness about fraudulent telephone solicitations. With the increasing use of the Internet and on-line services for marketing, the Alliance now also focuses on scams in cyberspace. Government, law enforcement, consumer advocacy, and businesses are members of the alliance. Members meet four times a year in Washington to learn how scams work, exchange information, and plan consumer education activities. In addition to receiving a quarterly newsletter, "Focus on Fraud," featuring timely articles on new telemarketing and Internet scams and efforts to fight them, Alliance members get special alerts about emerging fraud that is reported by the National Fraud Information Center and other sources.

WHITE HOUSE APPAREL INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP
In response to widely publicized revelations about the resurgence of sweatshop conditions, President Clinton convened a meeting at the White House in August 1996 with leaders from the U.S. apparel and footwear industries as well as from the labor, consumer, human rights, and religious communities. Clinton charged the partnership with developing recommendations for companies to eliminate sweatshops and provide consumers with a way to identify goods that are not made in sweatshop. National Consumers League's President Linda F. Golodner co-chairs the group. The group submitted a report to Clinton last April and continues to meet. For more information, visit the Department of Labor's web site.

FOR A SAFER AMERICA
The For A Safer America Coalition, coordinated by the National Consumers League and funded by All State, runs the "Be Cool About Fire Safety" campaign. The public-service campaign, aimed at teaching young children what to do in case of fire, includes a 15-minute public service announcement and a "Deputy Fire Marshal" kit. Thousands of fire departments have used the video across the nation and raved about it. In addition, more than 38,000 kids have ordered the fire marshal kit from the Consumer Information Center making it the most popular publication at the federal agency.

FIRE SAFE HOME COALITION
The National Consumers League also coordinates the Fire Safe Home Coalition, a partnership of organizations and government agencies promoting fire safety. The coalition recently developed a $5 guide called Consumer's Guide to Home Fire Safety designed for consumers planning to renovate or build a new home with useful information about the fire resistance of building materials.

The League participates in many other projects. For more information, please call (202) 835-3323.