Postal Service Ranked #1 as the Most Trusted Government Agency
Ponemon Institute LLC published its "2007 Privacy Trust Study of the United States Government" during National Consumer Protection Week. The study sought to understand the level of confidence Americans have in the many government agencies that routinely collect and use the public's personal information.
The Postal Service retained the top spot with a privacy trust score of 83 percent. It also is one of the few federal agencies able to increase its customer satisfaction and trust scores. The average trust score among the 60 agencies surveyed was 47 percent.
"For more than two centuries, the Postal Service has honored its fundamental commitment to protect the privacy and security of customers' personal information," said Delores Killette, Postal Service vice president and consumer advocate. "We have built a strong tradition of trust with our customers regarding how we handle mail and personal information."
The announcement comes during National Consumer Protection Week, a federal program hosted by the Federal Trade Commission to draw attention to issues and ideas to help create more informed and cautious consumers. The Postal Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are conducting hundreds of events across the country to educate consumers about fraudulent schemes and to provide them with the tools and information needed to combat fraud.
One of the most pressing issues for consumers is identity theft. The Postal Service and the Postal Inspection Service provide a number of tips, especially when shopping online:
1) Be cautious about giving our personal information. Be certain that the organization or company is legitimate.
2) Don't disclose personal information, especially a Social Security number or home address.
3) Teach children to check with parents or an adult before completing any form or survey online.
4) Never share a password to anyone online. Never use a full name, telephone number, birth date or Social Security number as part of a password.
5) Use a secure browser that complies with industry standards or4 technology such as encryption.
To report fraud or for more information on preventing fraud a complaint can be filed at the local post office, by calling 1-800-FRAUD-IS (1-800-372-8347), or online at http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors. The Federal Trade Commission works for the consumer to prevent fraud and deception. Call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or log on to http://www.ftc.gov.
Published by Dave Ickes
I'm a retired educator who enjoyes researching and writing about the many topics of interest to me. View profile
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