Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Celebrate National Consumer Protection Week

Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Celebrate National Consumer Protection Week

Outreach efforts highlight rights and resources for businesses and consumers.

Chicago - Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) recognize National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), a nationwide initiative from March 1st to March 7th, with free webinars and resources designed to protect consumers and promote ethical business practices throughout the community. NCPW is an annual initiative dedicated to helping residents understand their rights, avoid scams and make informed decisions while also supporting businesses in maintaining compliance with local and state consumer protection laws. Learn more by visiting Chicago.gov/ConsumerProtection.

"National Consumer Protection Week is a reminder that strong communities are built on trust and transparency," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "My administration is committed to protecting residents from fraud and unfair practices while supporting businesses that operate with integrity. When consumers understand their rights and businesses understand their responsibilities, our entire local economy benefits."

"An informed consumer and a compliant business community create a stronger local economy," said BACP Commissioner Ivan Capifali. "Our goal during National Consumer Protection week, and year-round, is to provide both residents and business owners with the tools and resources they need to succeed while ensuring fairness and accountability in the marketplace."

NCPW partner is sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission. NCPW brings together public and private sector organizations that work to educate and protect people from frauds, scams and other threats. BACP consumer protection outreach efforts during NCPW include:

• Hosting webinars to provide in-depth information on various consumer protection topics, offering a platform for Q&A sessions. To learn more and register, visit Chicago.gov/BACPWebinars.

• Tuesday, March 3 at 10:00 a.m., Scam Proof: Outsmart Fraudsters and Stay Safe! presented by BACP (BACP)

• Thursday, March 5 at 10:00 a.m., Scam Happens! How to Spot & Stop the Top 10 of 2025 presented by the Better Business Bureau (BBB)

• Promoting the BACP Be Informed. Be Protected. campaign which provides Chicagoans with tips and resources on topics most relevant to consumers, including home repair and using a towing service. The flyers are available in multiple languages. To learn more, visit Chicago.gov/ConsumerProtection.

• Promoting the BACP Ride Smart Chicago campaign which provides safety and consumer awareness information for passengers of taxicabs, ride-hail and other public passenger vehicles. To learn more, visit Chicago.gov/RideSmart.

• Throughout the week, BACP will share consumer protection tips on its social media platforms using #NCPW2026 to build awareness.

• BACP will continue its collaboration with organizations like the FTC and the Chicago Better Business Bureau to amplify the reach of educational materials and initiatives.

• Encouraging consumers to report consumer fraud by submitting a complaint via the City's 311 system (call 3-1-1, use the CHI311 mobile app, or visit 311.chicago.gov), which is the primary and most expeditious way that residents can request services from City departments and agencies.

"National Consumer Protection Week is one of the most important weeks of the year for us and great partners like BACP," said Steve Bernas, President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau. "Together we take alerting consumers to protect them from the perils of the ever-growing variety of scams absolutely vital. We are always honored to team up with BACP in this effort with our yearly presentation of the Top 10 Local Scams, which will alert and hopefully prevent people from becoming targets of fraudsters."

In addition to these outreach efforts, BACP enforces Chicago's consumer protection laws. In 2025, BACP responded to over 1,300 consumer fraud complaints, the most common were home repair and towing complaints. In. In 2025, BACP retrieved over $270,000 in restitution to complainants.

BACP is tasked with protecting Chicagoans from acts of consumer fraud, unfair methods of competition and deceptive practices. This includes any conduct that violates the Municipal Code sections related to business operations or consumer protection, as well as anything that is an unlawful practice under the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. To learn more, visit Chicago.gov/ConsumerProtection.

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