During National Consumer Protection Week, a good part of the focus is on helping consumers protect themselves from scams, fraud and rip-offs. To illustrate some of the issues consumers are struggling with, The Federal Trade Commission recently released its list of top complaints received in 2009: 

Rank Category / Number of Complaints

1. Identity Theft /  278,078 
2. Third Party and Creditor Debt Collection / 119,549
3. Internet Services / 83,067
4. Shop-at-Home and Catalog Sales / 74,581
5. Foreign Money Offers and Counterfeit Check Scams / 61,736
6. Internet Auction / 57,821 
7. Credit Cards / 45,203
8. Prizes, Sweepstakes and Lotteries /  41,763 
9. Advance-Fee Loans and Credit Protection/Repair / 41,448
10. Banks and Lenders / 32,443
11. Credit Bureaus, Information Furnishers and Report Users / 31,629
12. Television and Electronic Media / 26,568
13. Health Care / 25,414 
14. Business Opportunities, Employment Agencies and Work-at-Home Plans / 22,896
15. Computer Equipment and Software / 22,621

I always find these lists interesting, because they are made up of consumers who actually took the time to file a complaint with the FTC. How many other people were ripped off, or had problems, but suffered in silence?

Later this week, I'll detail one of the scams on this list that's costing consumers hundreds - sometimes thousands - of dollars. But in the meantime, I want to remind everyone how important it is that we speak up if we have been taken. No matter how embarrassed (or busy) you are, if your complaint helps one other person, then it's worth it. You are just as an important part of the consumer protection effort as any government agency.

Fortunately it's easy these days to get the word out about rip-offs or problems. Here are several places to file a complaint/share your story:

FTC.gov The Federal Trade Commission won't get involved in solving your actual complaint, but if they see a pattern of abuse, the can step in. Case in point: Operation Clean Sweep, aimed at fraudulent credit repair firms.

Credit.com Forums: Post your experiences with credit-related scams. We have heard from several consumers who found our forums just in time to avoid being ripped off.

IC3.gov: The place to go to report white collar crime.

Stay tuned this week as we detail more ways to protect your hard-earned money.

Gerri Detweiler – Personal finance author and Credit Advisor for Credit.com, Gerri contributes budgeting, debt recovery and savings information online. She is also the co-author of Reduce Debt, Reduce Stress: Real Life Solutions for Solving Your Credit Crisis.