So I told Richard that we were giving attendees a chance to win an iPad, and his eyes lit up and his face got a semi-excited expression.  In that moment, I appreciated my brilliant staff.  You see, Richard is my 17-year-old son.  Richard’s face has no expression.  Ever.  Well, at least not around me.  His eyes are focused on his next text message, and the most frequent words I hear are “leave me alone.”  But this time he said, “I’ll come with you.  I want to win an iPad.”  Oh glorious day.  We found the hot button, the iPad button.

I guess I better explain the need for the iPad button, so you can use it on your favorite teen or college student or sailor or marine.  The BBB, the City Attorney and the District Attorney decided we’d like to do a better job educating this age group on financial literacy and cyber security.  That’s pretty much a fancy way to say that we want them to be safe and successful.  Unfortunately, this group is likely to damage their credit before they even know what it is.  In fact, online predators are counting on it.  Is my Richard really sending a text, or is he on the internet giving some creep his Social Security number?  He’s got money to spend and he’s online, so we have a responsibility to teach him to be safe.  That’s what Consumer Protection Day is all about.

We’ve assembled more than 30 agencies, law enforcement and regulatory, to be on hand with information about how to protect yourself, as well as what to do in the event that you have been scammed.  Sound like information you could use?  Yes, you’re invited.  Everyone is invited, and the event is free.  We will have great speakers talking about the latest scams and frauds and sharing great information about how to protect ourselves.  The event is Consumer Protection Day, and it is this Saturday, March 13^th at the Scottish Rites Temple.

And since we know we are going to have many “Richards” there, we are making it a fun day that they will enjoy while they learn.  We will have a live band, and we are indeed giving away not only an iPad, but also iTunes cards and designer accessories.  Thanks to ESET and San Diego County Credit Union, we have fantastic community participation and content for a truly valuable day for the whole family.  And if your high school student needs community service credit, this day is a great way to earn it!