Watchdog report: scammers increasingly relying on Internet-enabled phone technology to reach victims – National Consumers League

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January 22, 2014

Contact: NCL Communications, Ben Klein, (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC — The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, has released its annual compilation of the top ten scams reported to Fraud.org, NCL’s flagship project for reporting and tracking scams. Good news: payment to fraudsters by credit card is up. Bad news: telemarketing fraud is making a major comeback. In more than 36 percent of all consumer complaints, victims were contacted by phone. This figure is up from approximately 25 percent in 2012. 

Using Internet calling software, scammers can peddle their schemes from practically anywhere on the globe, and they deceive Caller ID systems to make their calls appear to come from U.S. numbers.

“Scammers are finding new ways to use the Internet to contact high volumes of consumers on the phone,” said John Breyault, NCL’s vice president of public policy on telecommunications and fraud. “The days of dialing numbers and calling consumers one by one are long gone. Today, scammers can call millions of people with the click of a mouse.” 

The most frequently reported scams from 2012 remained the same in 2013, with nearly 75 percent of all complaints reported to Fraud.org falling into one of three categories: Fake Check Scams (24.23%), Internet Merchandise Scams (23.04%), and Fake Prizes/Sweepstakes (22.76%). 

A new trend in 2013: a rise in refund and recovery scams, in which fraudsters target vulnerable consumers that have been put on a “sucker list.” These consumers have already fallen victim to scams and have been identified as easy prey. Con artists buy, sell, and trade lists of victims amongst themselves so that they can be re-contacted. Scammers using the refund and recovery fraud attack will pitch victims through phone calls and direct mail, claiming that they can help recover lost funds for a fee. In 2013, this was the fastest-growing type of non-Internet scam reported to NCL’s Fraud.org campaign.

Some good news: a positive trend in the 2013 report is a shift in how victims pay con artists. In 2013, nearly 35 percent of all victims reported losing money to a scam with a credit card, up from just 18 percent in 2012. Victims who pay with credit cards can more easily recover lost funds than those who pay via wire transfer service, the most common way pay for offers that turn out to be fraudulent.

“Credit card transactions are the safest way for consumers to pay for products since they have the ability to dispute fraudulent charges with their credit card company,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL executive director. “While consumers paying scammers using a wire transfer service was still the number one way con artists were paid in 2013, the number of reports involving a credit card payment nearly doubled. This is a sign that consumers are better protecting themselves and hedging against the risk of a potential scam.”

Read the full 2013 top ten scams report here.

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About the National Consumers League
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit https://nclnet.org.

Flu diagnoses continue to rise; advocates fear misconceptions about flu vaccine will have negative impact on individuals, communities – National Consumers League

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January 17, 2014

Contact: NCL Communications, Ben Klein, (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The flu is now widespread in 35 states, according to the latest reports from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and a new Gallup-Healthways poll indicates that nearly 3 percent of Americans have become ill with the flu in the last month. With flu cases on the rise, consumer health advocates are pointing to new data on American misperceptions about vaccinations and why that is a cause for concern.

A survey released by the National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy group, reveals that over one in five (22%) U.S. parents surveyed admitted they’ve never received a flu shot, and only half (53%) of parents with children 17 and under have received a flu vaccination within the last year. The national survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive among 1,756 U.S. adult Americans, of whom 993 are parents of children under 18, in August – September 2013.

“According to our survey, only 44 percent of these parents said their child has received the vaccine,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director. “And 20 percent of Americans who do not get the vaccine say they avoid it because they mistakenly fear the vaccine increases one’s chance of contracting the virus. Consumers are clearly confused about the value of the flu shot for both individuals and for their community, and they need better education.”

According to the CDC, flu season has not yet peaked, with cases, hospitalizations, and even deaths still on the rise. The season has started later than usual this year, and, according to reports, the number of people seeking medical care for the flu climbed to more than 4 percent of all doctor visits last week, a near doubling from two weeks earlier, according to Associated Press. CDC data indicate that four children died of the flu last week.

The CDC recommends that all individuals over the age of 6 months receive the flu vaccine each year, with rare exceptions. It is especially important for people who are at high risk of developing serious complications if they get sick with the flu, including children under 5, pregnant women and those with medical conditions like asthma and diabetes.

“It used to be the case that medical experts recommended flu shots only for the most vulnerable groups,” said Rebecca Burkholder, NCL Vice President for Health Policy. “But because healthy people benefit from the flu vaccine as well, medical experts now recommend that nearly everyone get the flu shot. Vaccinations have, in recent years, developed a negative stigma, and this is preventing some of us from doing our part in disease prevention. Those who don’t get the flu shot put themselves and their families at risk of contracting the virus.”

Survey findings

The most common reason for not receiving the flu vaccine among adults who reported they have never received a flu shot was their good health (45%), side effects (29%), and perceived ineffectiveness of the vaccine (24%). Additionally:

  • One in five (21%) said the reason they have not received the flu vaccine is because they do not believe the flu is a serious illness.
  • One in five (20%) say they fear of contracting the flu from the vaccination is a reason they have not received the flu vaccine.

NCL’s survey also polled adult Americans about their perspectives on vaccines in general, not limited to the flu vaccine. Highlights from that include:

The most common reasons adults cite for not vaccinating in general:

  • Side effects: 41%
  • Ineffectiveness of the vaccines: 27%

The majority of Adults (87%) support mandatory vaccinations for school-aged children.

12% of parents of children 17 and under say they have missed a scheduled vaccination.

About the Survey

NCL commissioned this survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, with an unrestricted educational grant from Pfizer. NCL and Harris Interactive are solely responsible for the design of the survey

The NCL Vaccine Survey of 1,756 adult Americans was conducted with an emphasis on parents of children between 0-17, to investigate vaccination rates and opinions among the general US population. The survey was conducted online from August 22 to September 9, 2013.

Survey results are weighted to be representative of the US population for gender, age, ethnicity, education, income and region based on the current US Census.

The full survey report, including additional findings on vaccine perceptions, can be found here.

About the National Consumers League
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

About Harris Interactive®

Harris Interactive is one of the world’s leading market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for The Harris Poll®, Harris offers proprietary solutions in the areas of market and customer insight, corporate brand and reputation strategy, and marketing, advertising, public relations and communications research across a wide range of industries. Additionally, Harris has a portfolio of multi-client offerings that complement our custom solutions while maximizing a client’s research investment. Serving clients worldwide through our North American and European offices, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help our clients stay ahead of what’s next. For more information, please visit theharrispoll.com.

Consumer groups push for mandatory alcohol labeling – National Consumers League

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January 13, 2014

Contact: NCL Communications, Ben Klein, (202) 835-3323,  benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—With the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) holding a public meeting this week to hear testimony and consider comments regarding changes to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines, consumer advocates are urging the committee to endorse mandatory alcohol labeling and to maintain the definition of a “standard” drink.

Every five years, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) work collaboratively to release new Dietary Guidelines. Presently, no law exists requiring alcoholic beverages to have nutrition labels, although some alcoholic beverages, such as Guinness beer, voluntarily include nutrition labels. Current labeling requirements for alcoholic beverages are inadequate, leaving consumers guessing about the nutritional composition of their drinks.  Consumer groups have long advocated that the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), the federal agency that regulates alcohol sales, require nutritional labels on all alcoholic beverages.

The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, in conjunction with the Consumer Federation of America (CFA),submitted comments urging the committee to endorse mandatory alcohol labeling and to maintain the definition of a standard drink as containing 0.6 fluid ounces of alcohol. 

 “Alcoholic beverages are the only major source of calories in the American diet that are not required to be labeled with the basic information needed to follow the Dietary Guidelines,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL’s Executive Director. “The nutrition facts panel on other food and beverage products is a vital tool for consumers. Without nutrition facts panel on alcohol, consumers are left in the dark when trying to adhere to Dietary Guidelines. This is a significant lapse in the effort to fight obesity and a great disservice to America consumers.” 

The DGAC does not have the ability to mandate alcohol labeling, but it can do more to encourage TTB to require alcoholic beverage producers to provide complete nutrition facts panels on their products. NCL and CFA hope to work with USDA and HHS in their quest to provide consumers with information regarding calorie content, carbohydrates, protein, and fat on alcoholic beverage labels.  

To read the NCL/CFA comments, click here (PDF).

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit https://nclnet.org.

NCL issues top priorities for consumer, worker issues for 2014 – National Consumers League

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January 10, 2014

Contact: NCL Communications, Ben Klein, (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–As the National Consumers League (NCL) enters 2014 – its 115thyear – we remain dedicated to the mission of protecting and promoting the interests of consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For 2014, NCL has identified 10 priorities, not listed in order of preference, and all vitally important, that will help to shape its work, enabling NCL to fulfill its mission on behalf of consumers and workers.

1. Enact far more robust protections for consumer financial information from large-scale data breaches.

The Target and Snapchat data breaches have raised the profile of data security in public policy circles. NCL issued a White Paper in December 2013 calling for reforms to protect consumer information.

2. Help consumers be better informed about the minimal risks and tremendous benefits of vaccination.

A recent NCL survey found that consumers have many misconceptions regarding the effectiveness and health benefits of getting vaccinated. Many parents don’t vaccinate their children and don’t get vaccinated themselves, increasing the risks for all of us.

3. Move the federal bill to increase the minimum wage through the U.S. Senate and keep up pressure and activism across the states for higher state minimum wages.

The federal bill before Congress, the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013, would increase the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour and result in a raise for 30 million Americans. Polls show that consumers, those identifying as both Republican and Democrat, overwhelmingly support increases in minimum wage, and 13 states have raised their state minimum wage in 2014. Momentum to give those at the bottom of the wage ladder is building.

4. Educate the next generation of consumers and workers to be savvy consumers who will resist scams and ripoffs, manage their finances responsibly, and make wise decisions as citizens and consumers.

Expand LifeSmarts, NCL’s national consumer education challenge for teens, to all 50 states. In 2013, participants from 42 states competed online and in live competition. Recruiting new coaches in states without programs and introducing LifeSmarts to new students through training camps will bring our goal of championship teams from every state competing in the national finals within reach.

5. Protect children from harvesting tobacco leaves. Workers who do absorb the equivalent of 36 cigarettes per day.

NCL, through its work with the Child Labor Coalition, which NCL founded, coordinates, and co-chairs, is calling for a ban on work by children on this dangerous crop. Kids are not permitted to buy cigarettes by law; why should they be allowed to absorb nicotine from working in tobacco fields, some as young as 12 years old?

6. Ban the use of unnecessary antibiotics in beef, poultry, and pork.

FDA’s guidelines issued late in 2013 recommend that antibiotics not be used to promote growth in livestock, because the practice is leading to more drug-resistant bacteria that can threaten both animals and humans. FDA guidelines should include more specific criteria for when veterinarians can prescribe antibiotics. Currently, farmers are able to use antibiotics as a means of disease prevention when the animals are not at serious risk for disease. This loophole should be closed to protect American consumers.

7. Pass a Farm Bill that preserves the Food Stamp program and requires country-of-origin labeling on food products.

Regrettably, cuts are likely for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as Food Stamps, when a new farm bill passes. The House version of the bill includes $39 billion in cuts over 10 years, while the Senate version would trim $3.9 billion from SNAP over the same period. To protect low-wage workers and those struggling to recover from the great recession, cuts to SNAP must be as minimal as possible.

In November 2013, rules went into effect (called country-of-origin labeling, or COOL) requiring meat producers to identify on labels the countries where livestock was born, raised, and slaughtered. The rules apply to certain cuts of beef, veal, chicken, pork, lamb, and goat sold in supermarkets. There are intense lobbying efforts from meatpackers seeking to remove the COOL rule when a farm bill is passed. Consumers deserve to have the COOL rule remain in place.

8. Ensure that the silica rule is finalized by the Department of Labor in 2014 and implemented quickly and effectively to reduce workers’ exposure to dangerous levels of dust that causes silicosis.

In 2013, the Obama Administration allowed the rule to move through the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, the federal agency that conducts cost-benefit analysis, and now the rule is on its last step towards being finalized. NCL will testify in support of the rule before the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. First proposed in 1997(!), the new rule has been stuck in bureaucratic purgatory for 17 years. Annually, 60 workers lose their lives because the rule has not yet been passed. Current silica dust standards date from 1971. Workers deserve this change!

9. Improve medication adherence in the United States.

Pass legislation on medication adherence that would require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid to create comprehensive measures of adherence for use by health care programs, test the effectiveness of specific interventions to improve adherence, and provide Medicare Part D plan enrollees and their health care providers a list of all their medications. Americans who take many prescriptions, especially older consumers, often struggle to take them as directed. To raise consumer awareness of the importance of proper adherence, NCL’s Script Your Future campaign is encouraging Americans to ask their healthcare professional questions about their medicines. Improving that conversation is a vital first step toward better adherence rates and health outcomes and lower healthcare costs.

10. Push for state and national legislation to address the lack of transparency and anti-consumer practices in the multi-billion-dollar live event ticketing market.

When buying tickets, consumers should have the opportunity to transfer paperless tickets to friends and family. NCL also supports legislation that outlaws ticket-buying “bot” software that can purchase huge quantities of high-demand tickets, preventing consumers from buying them at reasonable prices. NCL will continue its work with the Fan Freedom Project to expand the number of stakeholders working on this issue and to target arenas that are not transparent in their ticketing practices.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit https://nclnet.org.

National Consumers League statement on FTC crackdown on deceptive weight-loss advertising – National Consumers League

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January 8, 2014

Contact: NCL Communications, Ben Klein, (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League, the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, today applauded the Federal Trade Commission’s crackdown on four deceptive marketers of weight-loss products. The companies – Sensa Products, LLC, L’Occitane, Inc., HCG Diet Direct and LeanSpa, LLC – are charged with duping consumers into buying fraudulent weight-loss products. The League also called on broadcasters and publishers to do more to root out deceptive advertising in their pages and on the airwaves.

The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director:

“As the new year kicks off, many consumers will be trying to stick to their resolutions to lose weight. Unfortunately, consumers are constantly bombarded by advertising claiming that a cream or shake will magically help them shed unwanted pounds with little effort. The truth is that many of these products fail to produce the results they claim. Just as insidiously, deceptive advertising undermines confidence in all advertising, hurting legitimate businesses as well as consumers. To protect the public interest and their business models, we therefore urge broadcasters and publishers to closely monitor the ads they accept and screen out deceptive advertisers.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit https://nclnet.org.

Statement on Mel Watt commencing his tenure as head of the FHFA – National Consumers League

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January 7, 2014

Contact: NCL Communications, Ben Klein, (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC — The National Consumers League applauds the swearing in of Congressman Mel Watt of North Carolina to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The FHFA oversees the work of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Mr. Watt has had a long tenure on the House Financial Services Committee, which oversees housing matters.

“Congressman Watt is a great choice for chief of this agency. His distinguished service as a member of Congress since 1992, and work on the House Financial Services Committee, makes him uniquely qualified to run the FHFA. He understands what led to the housing crisis and is on the side of responsible homeowners to help them get through this very tough period. We think he will be on the forefront of expanding access to credit for worthy borrowers and offering concrete tools and real assistance to homeowners who are under water, owing more on their homes than the property is worth,” said Sally Greenberg, the group’s Executive Director.

As Chief of the FHFA, Mr. Watt will play a crucial role in shaping the future of Fannie and Freddie. Mr. Watt consistently pressed for better access to mortgages for minority and low-income borrowers since being elected to Congress. He also brings a close working relationship with the financial services and insurance industries that are core members of the business community in Charlotte, NC, the area Congressman Watt represented.

“We congratulate Director Watt on heading this very important federal agency, the FHFA, and look forward to working with him,” Greenberg added.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit https://nclnet.org.

Consumer group applauds trio of Senators for requesting Congressional hearing to examine data security standards – National Consumers League

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January 3, 2014

Contact: Ben Klein, NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, is applauding a trio of Senators who are asking for a hearing on the nation’s data security standards. In the aftermath of the recent Target data security breach affecting 40 million credit and debit cards, Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Charles Schumer (D-NY) have signed a letter requesting that the Senate Banking Committee hold a hearing “as soon as reasonably possible.”

“It is time that Congress examine our data security standards and determine how business can better protect consumers’ financial information,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director. “When our personal information is compromised, not only does it have the potential to cost the consumer significant time and money, but it also threatens our confidence in the security practices of the companies with whom we share our information. There is more that businesses can and should be doing to ensure our sensitive information is protected. Congress can be very helpful in pressing for a far stronger set of policies to protect private consumer financial data.”

The Senators were prompted to pen the letter to Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, by the Target data breach, which took place at the height of the busiest shopping time of 2013, between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In early December, just a few days before news about the Target data breach emerged, NCL released a white paper discussing the impact of data breaches on consumer vulnerability to fraud and the resulting loss of trust in the online economy. The NCL white paper included a number of policy recommendations to better protect consumers’ data including calling for a national data breach notification standard and urging the Obama Administration to explore incentives and penalties to encourage private sector businesses to better protect consumer data.

NCL’s letter to Sen. Johnson urges Congress to take a closer look at the problem and corresponding solutions at a hearing. Federal agencies like the Federal Trade Commission, cyber security experts and advocacy groups of NCL can offer concrete proposals to better protect consumer data.

To read the letter, click here.

To read the white paper, click here.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL commends the DC City Council for its vote in favor of workers’ rights – National Consumers League

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December 17, 2013

Contact: NCL Communications, Ben Klein, (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—Today, the National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, applauds the DC City Council for two unanimous votes that will boost workers’ pay and expand paid sick days to tipped workers.

“This is a great step, very welcome, and long overdue,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director. “We’re hopeful that Mayor Gray will sign the bills into law and better the lives of workers across Washington, DC. NCL thanks every member of the DC City Council for standing up for those on the lowest rung of the income ladder. You each have shown strength and resolve to do the right thing in the face of industry opposition. The DC Council has set an exemplary standard for city and state legislators around the nation.”

The two approved measures will expand the city’s 2008 law on paid sick leave to include workers whose incomes rely on tips and increase the minimum wage in the District for all other workers from $8.25 to $11.50 per hour over a three-year period.

“Consumers have spoken very clearly in overwhelming support of tipped workers who serve them at dining establishments, for improving their wages, and providing them with paid sick leave,” Greenberg said. “It’s not just a matter of compassion; it’s a matter of public health and food safety. If the proposals are ultimately signed into law,thousands of tipped workers will have the freedom to stay home to recover when they are sick, instead of coming to work and potentially infecting coworkers and customers. This is especially critical now that cold and flu season is upon us.”

According to the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, the gap between high-income and low-income households in the District is the third-highest among the 50 largest cities, after Atlanta and Boston. The $3.25 increase in the minimum wage, which will raise the minimum wage to $11.50, will help lift some 51,000 workers, who now struggle to make ends meet, out of poverty.

The typical minimum-wage worker is 34 years old, supports a family, and works full time. The new wage floor would mean a full-time salary of $23,920 a year, which will lift a family of three to just above the poverty level. “This is still not enough money to cover basic expenses, but it is a vast improvement of the current minimum wage,” said Michell McIntyre, NCL’s Outreach Director, Labor & Worker Rights.

Although the new minimum wage bill does not raise the tipped minimum wage (currently $2.77 an hour), Councilmember Mary Cheh introduced a measure that would make the tipped minimum wage the same as the standard minimum wage.

“We look forward to seeing both bills signed into law and working with Councilmember Cheh on a tipped minimum wage bill,” said Greenberg.

These two bills now head to Mayor Vincent Gray’s desk. He can sign the bills into law, veto the bills, which would send them back to the City Council for a councilmember vote to override the veto, or he can choose to take no action and after a set amount of time the bills will become law. 

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Study: U.S. parents’ flu vaccine misconceptions concerning advocates – National Consumers League

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December 17, 2013

Contact: NCL Communications, Ben Klein, (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—According to a new survey released (report PDF) by the National Consumers League (NCL), fears and misperceptions about flu vaccines persist among Americans—adults and parents of children under the age of 17 alike. With flu season underway and the start of winter upon us, consumer advocates are concerned that misinformation about side effects and ineffectiveness of vaccines may be contributing to a failure to have children vaccinated.

In recent years, the science has evolved on the importance of getting vaccinated for the flu. It used to be the case that medical experts recommended flu shots only for the most vulnerable groups; but because healthy people benefit from the vaccine as well, medical experts now recommend that nearly everyone get the flu shot.

“Getting the flu can be serious, especially to children under 5 and other high risk groups,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “In our survey, however, we found the majority of parents of a child in this age group have not had them vaccinated with the flu vaccine” Despite an obvious desire to avoid coming down with the flu, consumers are unlikely to receive a flu vaccine because of their perceived good health, and the assumed side effects and ineffectiveness of the vaccine. “For parents, there is a disconnect between fear of their child contracting the flu and a failure to get the recommended vaccines to prevent its spread,” said Greenberg.

The national survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive among 1,756 U.S. adult Americans, of whom 993 are parents of children under 18, in August – September 2013.

The survey findings are a reminder that we need continuing consumer and patient education on the importance of both adults and children receiving a flu shot annually. The American College of Physicians, for example, strongly advises Americans to receive the vaccines endorsed by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which includes an annual flu shot.

“A new version of the flu vaccine is prepared annually to best match the strains of flu virus currently circulating; while the effectiveness of the vaccine is better some years than others, getting vaccinated always results in better protection than not getting vaccinated,” said Molly Cooke, MD, FACP, President of the American College of Physicians.  “The flu vaccine does not cause flu in vaccine recipients.  It is understandable that some people regard being in good health as a reason to skip vaccination. This is because we used to reserve flu vaccination for elderly people and those with serious chronic illnesses. However, it is now clear that healthy people benefit as well. In addition, the more of us who are vaccinated, the better our families and communities are protected.”

The CDC recommends that all individuals over the age of 6 months receive the flu vaccine each year. It is especially important for people who are at high risk of developing serious complications if they get sick with the flu, including children under 5, pregnant women and those with medical conditions like asthma and diabetes.  The bottom line is that healthy or not, everyone should be vaccinated against the flu.

“Despite consensus among health agencies and health care professionals that vaccines are good for individuals and communities, vaccinations have, in recent years, appeared to have developed a negative stigma, and this is preventing some of us from doing our part in disease prevention,” said Rebecca Burkholder, NCL Vice President for Health Policy. “This flu season, many consumers will fail to get vaccinated. Misconceptions about how vaccines work are putting  all of us at risk.”

Highlights from the survey

Men vs. Women: Perceptions of how ‘severe’ the flu is

Over a third of adults rate the flu as very severe.  Women are more likely to rate the flu as severe than men.

  • Thirty-six percent (36%) of adults rated the flu as an 8, 9, or 10 on a scale from 1 to 10 where 0 means “not at all severe” and 10 means “extremely severe.”
  • Women are more likely than men to rate the flu as an 8, 9, or 10 for severity (43% vs. 28%).

Adults aren’t current on vaccinations

While nearly three-quarters of adults (74%) say they have received the flu vaccine, nearly 32% of those last received the flu vaccine a year ago or more.

  • Just over 5 in 10 (53%) parents have received a flu vaccination within the last year, compared to nearly 7 in 10 (68%) adults.

Why we aren’t vaccinating

The most common reason for not receiving the flu vaccine among adults who reported they have never received a flu shot was their good health (45%), side effects (29%), and perceived ineffectiveness of the vaccine (24%).

  • One in five (21%) said the reason they have not received the flu vaccine is because they do not believe the flu is a serious illness.
  • One in five (20%) say they fear of contracting the flu from the vaccination is a reason they have not received the flu vaccine.

Parents of children under 18 who reported they have never received a flu shot were more likely to say that the flu is not a serious illness as a reason for not receiving the vaccine themselves (31%).  However, when parents were asked to rate how concerned they were about their child contracting diseases, they were more likely to report they were concerned about their child contracting the flu than any other disease on the list with the exception of meningitis.

  • Parents are more likely than the general population to avoid receiving a vaccination due to fears of contracting the flu as a result of the vaccination (29% vs. 20%).
  • 33% of parents report they are extremely or very concerned about their child contracting the flu.
  • 44% of parents say their child has received vaccine.

Where the Flu vaccine is received

A number of adults report receiving flu shots in venues like the workplace or retail health clinic.

  • Nearly 4 in 10 (39%)adults received the flu shot in their doctor’s office.
  • Nearly 1 in 5 (18%) adults received a flu shot in a retail clinic (located in large retail settings such as drug stores, grocery stores or big box stores).
  • Parents are more likely to use/take advantage of vaccinations offered by their employer/workplace (24% vs. 18% adults).

On self-reported knowledge

Adults who say they are extremely or very knowledgeable about how vaccines work were more likely than those who said they were somewhat or not at all knowledgeable to report they have received a flu vaccine (82% vs. 68%).

  • Adults are more likely to say it is extremely or very important or important for a child to receive recommended vaccinations than they are to say it is extremely or very important or important for an adult to receive recommended vaccinations (91% vs. 75%).

About the Survey

NCL commissioned this survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, with an unrestricted educational grant from Pfizer. NCL and Harris Interactive are solely responsible for the design of the survey

The NCL Vaccine Survey of  adult Americans was conducted with an emphasis on parents of children between 0-17, to investigate vaccination rates and opinions among the general US population. A total of 1,756 adults aged 18 + were surveyed nationally of whom 993 were parents of children aged 0-17. The survey was conducted online from August 22 to September 9, 2013.

Survey results are weighted to be representative of the US population for gender, age, ethnicity, education, income and region based on the current US Census.

The full survey report, including additional findings on vaccine perceptions, can be found online at www.nclnet.org.

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About the National Consumers League
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

About Harris Interactive®
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FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez speaks at National Consumers League event on identity theft – National Consumers League

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December 16, 2013

Contact: Ben Klein, NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – Speaking at a National Consumers League event on identity theft, FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez said Thursday that more can be done by the private sector and government to protect consumers and businesses from identity theft.

“It’s clear to me that we need to do more,” said Ramirez, who called for the government to make sure “small and medium sized companies know what they need to do and really understand the importance of data security.”

Chairwoman Ramirez was joined by former FTC Chairwoman Deborah Platt Majoras in giving keynote remarks at the event yesterday. Majoras served as founding co-chair of President George W. Bush’s Identity Theft Task Force from 2006-2008, leading a major campaign by the federal government to address the growing threat of ID theft.

The two officials joined experts in consumer protection and data security to discuss the growing problem of identity theft, which affected 12.6 million Americans in 2012. Fraud and identity theft have topped the list of FTC consumer complaints for 13 straight years. Although policymakers have taken strides to cut the incidence of these online crimes, the threat remains: every three seconds, a new American becomes a victim of identity theft.

“This event helped to focus attention on the continuing challenge of protecting consumers from identity theft,” said Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League. “Government at all levels, along with law enforcement, have taken steps to help protect consumers from identity theft, but more must be done. We thank Chairwoman Ramirez and former Chairwoman Majoras for joining us to discuss the task of protect consumers from identity thieves and online fraud.”

The event coincided with the release of a new National Consumers League policy paper entitled “The State of Identity Theft in 2013.” The policy paper, authored by John Breyault, NCL’s Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud, discusses the measures that have been put in place to protect consumers, and puts forward specific policy recommendations to improve identity theft protections for the future.

“We have taken important steps over the past 15 years to help protect consumers from identity theft,” said Breyault. “But policymakers, advocates and the general public must work to stay ahead of identity thieves and reduce the risk of identity theft. We hope this week’s discussions will be an impetus for further action against online identity thieves.”

Watch a video of the event on the National Consumer League’s YouTube channel.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.