2013 Crime Prevention Month to Educate on Financial Fraud and Four Additional Topics

ARLINGTON, VA—Oct. 2, 2013—In 1984 The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) designated October as Crime Prevention Month. To mark Crime Prevention Month 2013, NCPC has announced the release of its Crime Prevention Month Kit in partnership with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. The 2013-2014 kit, Protecting Our Assets: Keeping Communities Safe from Financial Fraud, is designed to help keep the well-earned income and investments of everyday citizens where it belongs.

“NCPC is excited for the release of this much-anticipated new resource so that people can learn about this growing crime trend and how to better protect themselves,” said Ann M. Harkins, NCPC’s president and CEO.  “Initial orders for the kits exceeded more than 40,000 requests, resulting in the need to more than double the print production to meet demand.”

In a recent survey conducted by the Federal Trade Commission, an estimated 13.5 percent of U.S. consumers (30.2 million people) are defrauded each year, losing a total of close to $3 billion. In addition, a survey by the FINRA Foundation of U.S. adults age 40 and over found that over 80 percent of respondents have been solicited to participate in a potentially fraudulent scheme, and over 40 percent of those surveyed could not identify classic red flags of fraud.

Perpetrated through a wide variety of activities from fake lotteries and identity theft to complex Ponzi schemes, financial fraud can take many forms. The FINRA Foundation’s survey found that email investment solicitations were the most widely recalled form of solicitation (67 percent recall being solicited).

This year’s CPM Kit, Protecting Our Assets: Keeping Communities Safe from Financial Fraud, features information on these different kinds of financial fraud and the tactics used by the white collar criminals and con artists who regularly undermine people’s trust. This all-inclusive kit will help those in your community learn about the prevalence and dangers of financial fraud along with steps people can take to keep from becoming victims.

The 2013-2014 Crime Prevention Month Kit is but one part of a much larger partnership between NCPC and the FINRA Foundation to reduce the incidence of investment fraud. Together, the two organizations are establishing a number of Investment Fraud Prevention Programs on the state level and educating law enforcement officers to become better equipped to handle reports of investment fraud in their communities.

”When it comes to financial fraud, America is a nation at risk. We are proud to work with NCPC to help Americans across the country avoid financial fraud,” said FINRA Foundation President Gerri Walsh.

Financial fraud won’t be the only topic of discussion during Crime Prevention Month, however. Following a tradition started in 2008, NCPC will feature tips and resources on one of four crime prevention topics for each week of Crime Prevention Month via its website and social media accounts. The first week will focus on protecting your personal property, which encompasses anything from personal safety and home safety to auto safety and mortgage fraud. The second week will focus on staying safe in a high-tech world, which will include topics such as cellphone safety, cyberbullying, data privacy, and social networking. The third week will teach students, parents and school administrators about school safety and security, including college campus safety. Lastly, the fourth week of October will highlight safety in the golden years, focusing on fraud and abuse targeted toward the senior population.

For more information or to obtain a Crime Prevention Month kit, visit NCPC’s website at www.ncpc.org.  To schedule an interview, please contact Sara Khalatbari at 202-261-4151 (skhalatbari@ncpc.org).

About FINRA Investor Education Foundation
The FINRA Investor Education Foundation supports innovative research and educational projects that give underserved Americans the knowledge, skills and tools necessary for financial success throughout life. For details about grant programs and other FINRA Foundation initiatives, visit www.finrafoundation.org . SaveAndInvest.org, a FINRA Foundation website, offers easy-to-use tools and information to help investors make sound financial decisions and protect themselves from investment fraud.

About the National Crime Prevention Council
The National Crime Prevention Council is the nonprofit leader in crime prevention. For more than 30 years, our symbol of safety, McGruff the Crime Dog®, has delivered easy-to-use crime prevention tips that protect what matters most—you, your family, and your community. Since 1982, NCPC has continuously provided the American public with comprehensive educational materials, training programs, and effective crime prevention messaging, delivered in large part through its vast network of more than 4,600 state and local law enforcement agencies, crime prevention associations, community groups, foundations, and corporate partners.  For more information on how NCPC can be a public safety expert for you or how to “Take A Bite Out of Crime®,” visit www.ncpc.org.

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