“Fraud Susceptibility Internet Panel Study” Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed

Federal Trade Commission

Description

27794 Federal Register/Vol. 74, No. 111/Thursday, June 11, 2009/Notices District; Port of Port Arthur Navigation FTC submits a request for Office of fraudexperiment). If this Notice appears District of Jefferson County, Texas; Management and Budget (OMB) review at (http://www.regulations.gov/search/ Tampa Port Authority; Port of Corpus under the Paperwork Reduction Act index.jsp), you may also file an Christi Authority of Nueces County, (PRA). electronic comment through that Texas; Panama City Port Authority; Port website. The Commission will consider DATES: Comments must be submitted on of Pensacola; Port Freeport; Jackson all comments that regulations.gov or before August 10, 2009. County Port Authority; Manatee Port forwards to it. You may also visit the ADDRESSES: Interested parties are Authority; St. Bernard Port, Harbor and FTC Website at http://www.ftc.gov to invited to submit written comments Terminal District; and Plaquemines read the Notice and the news release electronically or in paper form. Port, Harbor and Terminal District. describing it. Comments should refer to ‘‘Fraud Filing Party: Allen Moeller, Chairman; A comment filed in paper form Susceptibility Experiment, FTC File No. Port of Pascagoula; 3033 Pascagoula should include the ‘‘Fraud P095501’’ to facilitate the organization Street; Pascagoula, MS 39567. Susceptibility Experiment, FTC File No. of comments. Please note that your Synopsis: The amendment updates P095501’’reference both in ...

Informations

• Publié par: Obbe
• Nombre de lectures: 18
• Langue: English

Extrait

27794

Federal Register/ Notices74, No. 111/ Vol.June 11, 2009/ Thursday,

District; Port of Port Arthur NavigationFTC submits a request for Office offraudexperiment). If this Notice appears District of Jefferson County, Texas; Management and Budget (OMB) review at (http://www.regulations.gov/search/ Tampa Port Authority; Port of Corpus under the Paperwork Reduction Act index.jsp), you may also file an Christi Authority of Nueces County, (PRA). electronic comment through that Texas; Panama City Port Authority; Portwebsite. The Commission will consider DATES :Comments must be submitted on of Pensacola; Port Freeport; Jacksonall comments that regulations.gov or before August 10, 2009. County Port Authority; Manatee Portforwards to it. You may also visit the ADDRESSES :Interested parties are Authority; St. Bernard Port, Harbor andFTC Website athttp://www.ftc.govto invited to submit written comments Terminal District; and Plaqueminesread the Notice and the news release electronically or in paper form. Port, Harbor and Terminal District.describing it. Comments should refer to ‘‘Fraud Filing Party:Allen Moeller, Chairman; A comment filed in paper form Susceptibility Experiment, FTC File No. Port of Pascagoula; 3033 Pascagoula should include the ‘‘Fraud P095501’’ to facilitate the organization Street; Pascagoula, MS 39567. Susceptibility Experiment, FTC File No. of comments. Please note that your Synopsis:The amendment updates P095501’’reference both in the text and comment—including your name and agreement language and membership on the envelope, and should be mailed your state—will be placed on the public list. or delivered to the following address: record of this proceeding, including on Agreement No.: 201202. FederalTrade Commission, Office of the the publicly accessible FTC Website, at Title:Oakland MTO Agreement. Secretary, Room H135 (Annex J), 600 (http://www.ftc.gov/os/ Parties:Eagle Marine Services, Ltd.; Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, publiccomments.shtm). DC 20580. The FTC is requesting that Seaside Transportation Service LLC; Because comments will be made any comment filed in paper form be sent SSA Terminals (Oakland), LLC; Total public, they should not include any Terminals International, LLC; Transbay sensitive personal information, such as by courier or overnight service, if Container Terminal, Inc.; and Trapac, an individual’s Social Security Number; possible, because U.S. postal mail in the Inc. date of birth; driver’s license number or Washington area and at the Commission Filing Party: other state identification number, or David F. Smith, Esq.; is subject to delay due to heightened Sher & Blackwell LLP; 1850 M Street, foreign country equivalent; passport security precautions. NW.; Suite 900; Washington, DC 20036. number; financial account number; or The FTC Act and other laws the Synopsis:The agreement would credit or debit card number. CommentsCommission administers permit the authorize the parties to discuss,also should not include any sensitive collection of public comments to exchange information, and reach health information, such as medical consider and use in this proceeding as agreement regarding various matters records or other individually appropriate. The Commission will pertaining to their operations at the Port identifiable health information. In consider all timely and responsive of Oakland. addition, comments should not include public comments that it receives, any ‘‘[t]rade secret or any commercial or whether filed in paper or electronic Dated: June 5, 2009. financial information which is obtained form. Comments received will be By Order of the Federal Maritime from any person and which is privileged available to the public on the FTC Commission. or confidential. . . .,’’ as provided in Website, to the extent practicable, at Tanga S. FitzGibbon, Section 6(f) of the Federal Trade (http://www.ftc.gov/os/ Assistant Secretary. Commission Act (‘‘FTC Act’’), 15 U.S.C. publiccomments.shtm). As a matter of [FR Doc. E9–13633 Filed 6–10–09; 8:45 am] 46(f), and FTC Rule 4.10(a)(2), 16 CFR discretion, the Commission makes every BILLING CODE 6730–01–P 4.10(a)(2). Comments containing effort to remove home contact material for which confidential information for individuals from the treatment is requested must be filed in public comments it receives before FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION paper form, must be clearly labeled placing those comments on the FTC ‘‘Confidential,’’ and must comply with Website. More information, including Agency Information Collection 1 FTC Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c). routine uses permitted by the Privacy Activities; Proposed Collection; Because paper mail addressed to the Act, may be found in the FTC’s privacy Comment Request FTC is subject to delay due to policy, at (http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/ heightened security screening, please privacy.shtm). AGENCY :Federal Trade Commission consider submitting your comments in (‘‘FTC’’ or ‘‘Commission’’). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT : electronic form. Comments filed in ACTION :Notice. Requests for additional information electronic form should be submitted by should be addressed to Patrick using the following weblink: (https:// SUMMARY :The FTC intends to conduct McAlvanah, Economist, Bureau of secure.commentworks.com/ftc two exploratory studies on consumer Economics, Federal Trade Commission, fraudexperiment) (and following the susceptibility to fraudulent and 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Mail instructions on the webbased form). To deceptive marketing. This research will Stop NJ4136, Washington, DC 20580. ensure that the Commission considers be conducted to further the FTC’s Telephone: (202) 3262974; email: an electronic comment, you must file it mission of protecting consumers from [e-mail]. on the webbased form at the weblink: unfair and deceptive marketing. Before (https://secure.commentworks.com/ftc SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION : gathering this information, the FTC is seeking public comments on its 1 I. Background The comment must be accompanied by an proposed research. This notice seeks explicit request for confidential treatment, As part of its consumer protection comments on the Fraud Susceptibility including the factual and legal basis for the request, mission, the FTC has brought hundreds Experiment Study, one of the two and must identify the specific portions of the comment to be withheld from the public record. of cases targeting fraud, and has studies. The Commission is also seeking The request will be granted or denied by the committed significant resources to comments on the other study in a Commission’s General Counsel, consistent with educational initiatives designed to separateFederal Registernotice. applicable law and the public interest.SeeFTC protect consumers. The Commission Comments will be considered before the Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c).

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2 hosted a Fraud Forumon February 25is providing this opportunity for publicrisk attitudes, impulsivity, and 26, 2009 to examine fraud in the market comment before requesting that OMBskepticism using existing methods from place. The Commission has also approve the study. Under the PRA,economics and psychology research. conducted telephone surveys in 2003 federal agencies must obtain OMBStaff may measure consumer knowledge and 2005 designed to measure the approval for each collection ofusing consumer literacy and financial 5 proportion of the U.S. adult population information they conduct or sponsor.literacy surveysin order to test that has fallen victim to various ‘‘Collection of information’’ meanssubjects’ marketplace understanding 3 consumer frauds.Despite this, agency requests or requirements that and sophistication. Staff seeks to surprisingly little is known about what members of the public submit reports,determine if people with such determines consumers’ susceptibility to keep records, or provide information toknowledge deem fraudulent fraud. For example, the 2003 and 2005 a third party. 44 U.S.C. 3502(3); 5 CFRadvertisements to be less credible than FTC Consumer Fraud surveys found 1320.3(c). legitimateadvertisements. Staff plans to that education was not a significant Specifically, the FTC invitesmeasure subjects’ risk attitudes through predictor of fraud victimization. comments on: (1) whether the proposeda series of choices between smaller Understanding when and why people collection of information is necessarycertain amounts of money or larger risky are vulnerable to fraud would better 6 for the proper performance of theamounts. Staffmay describe the inform the FTC’s substantial, ongoing functions of the FTC, including whether product to some subjects as creating efforts to fight fraud through law the information will have practicalbenefits, while presenting to other enforcement and consumer education. utility; (2) the accuracy of the FTC’ssubjects nearly identical information Any additional insights into how and estimate of the burden of the proposeddepicted as a reduction in harm. Staff why people fall victim to fraud could collection of information; (3) ways towould then test whether riskaverse and also help improve any future fraud enhance the quality, utility, and claritylossaverse subjects are particularly surveys the Commission may undertake. of the information to be collected; andsusceptible to fraudulent claims framed The study announced in this notice is 7 (4) ways to minimize the burden ofas opportunities to escape losses.Staff a preliminary and exploratory step collecting information on those whomay measure subjects’ impulsivity toward facilitating those efforts. The respond, including through the use of through a series of choices between study is not intended to lead to appropriate automated, electronic,smaller monetary amounts received enforcement actions; rather, study mechanical, or other technologicalsooner or larger amounts but received results may aid the FTC’s efforts to 8 collection techniques or other forms oflater. Staffwould then test to see if better target its enforcement actions and information technology,e.g., permittingimpulsive subjects are more susceptible consumer education initiatives, and electronic submission of responses. Allto fraudulent claims. Staff plans to elicit improve future fraud surveys. 9 comments should be filed as prescribedmeasures of optimismand Economic and psychological 10 in the ADDRESS determine their roles insection above, and mustskepticism to experiments have identified several be received on or before August 10,deeming advertisements, both of decisionmaking biases, such as 2009. fraudulentand legitimate products, as impulsivity, overconfidence, over credible. In addition, staff anticipates optimism, and loss aversion, that can A. Description of the Collection of collecting demographic information cause inaccurate assessments of the Information and Proposed Use from the surveyed subjects. The FTC has risks, costs, and benefits of various The FTC proposes to conduct an contracted with the faculty of a choices. FTC staff proposes to conduct experiment in a university’s economics universityrun experimental economics an economic laboratory experiment to laboratory with 250 subjects drawn from study whether these types of decision 4 the campus community.A sampling of 5 SeeAnnamaria Lusardi,Financial Literacy: An biases are related to consumer 250 persons enables random assignment Essential Tool for Informed Consumer Choice?, susceptibility to fraudulent or deceptive Working Paper, Joint Center for Housing Studies, of subjects into different experimental Harvard University (2008), for examples of financial marketing claims. Staff intends to study conditions of sufficient size for analytic literacy questions similar to those the FTC is consumers’ assessment of potentially power. The sample is not intended to be considering. deceptive advertisements, in addition to nationally representative, but will still Staff anticipates using standard risk aversion 6 their assessment of nondeceptive provide useful insights into consumer measurement methodologies akin to those in advertisements. Staff seeks to Charles Holt and Susan Laury,Risk Aversion and susceptibility to fraud. Incentive Effects,American Economic Review, understand which characteristics of The study will gauge consumer December 2002, 16441655. individuals and advertisements predict attitudes towards legitimate and 7 Several academic articles report that people are consumers’ ability to differentiate potentially fraudulent or deceptive more willing to take identical risks over monetary between apparently fraudulent materials gambles if the risk is presented as an opportunity advertisements. Staff plans to ask to escape losses rather than as a chance to gain. Our and apparently legitimate materials. subjects to examine advertisements or ‘‘framing’’ methodologies may emulate those in other descriptions of fraudulent II. Paperwork Reduction Act Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman,The Framing products and report their opinion about of Decisions and the Psychology of Choice, Science, As required by Section 3506(c)(2)(A) Vol. 211, No. 4481 (Jan. 30, 1981), 453458. the credibility of product claims. Staff of the PRA, 44 U.S.C. 350121, the FTC 8 Staff anticipates using methodology similar to also plans to ask participants to rate the that in Stephan Meier and Charles Sprenger, credibility of advertisements for Impatience and Credit Behavior: Evidence from a 2 Information on the Fraud Forum is available at: apparently legitimate products to gauge Field Experiment, Working Papers 073, Federal (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/fraudforum/ index.shtm). how participants distinguish between Reserve Bank of Boston (2007). 9 Staff plans to use standard questions similar to 3 apparently fraudulent product claims The Commission has published two staff reports those in Manju Puri and David Robinson,Optimism describing the results of these surveys —Consumer and legitimate product claims. Staff and Economic Choice,Journal of Financial Fraud in the United States: An FTC Survey plans to measure consumer knowledge, Economics, 2007, Vol. 86, 7199. (published August 2004 and available at (http:// 10 www.ftc.gov/reports/consumerfraud/Staff may use the scale developed in Carl 4 040805confraudrpt.pdf)) andConsumer Fraud inObermiller and Eric Spangenberg,Staff has contracted with a faculty member ofDevelopment of the United States: The Second FTC Survey George Mason University who will recruit the studya Scale to Measure Consumer Skepticism toward (published in October 2007 and available at (http://subjects and oversee and administer theAdvertising,Journal of Consumer Psychology, Vol. www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/10/fraud.pdf7, No. 2, 1998, 159186.). experiment.

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laboratory to locate and recruit subjectsproposed research. This notice seekssecure.commentworks.com/ftc and conduct the experiments. comments on the Fraud Susceptibility fraudinternetpanel) (and following the Staff will pretest the experimental Internet Panel Study, one of the two instructions on the webbased form). To procedures with 9 subjects to ensure studies. The Commission is also seeking ensure that the Commission considers that the instructions provided to comments on the other study in a an electronic comment, you must file it participants are clear and separateFederal Registernotice. on the webbased form at the weblink: comprehensible, and that the Comments will be considered before the (https://secure.commentworks.com/ftc experimental procedures are workable. FTC submits a request for Office of fraudinternetpanel). If this Notice Pretest subjects will be drawn fromManagement and Budget (OMB) review appears at (http://www.regulations.gov/ FTC staff not involved with the study. under the Paperwork Reduction Act search/index.jsp), you may also file an (PRA). electronic comment through that B. Estimated Hours Burden DATES : website. The Commission will consider Comments must be submitted on The FTC plans to seek information or before August 10, 2009. all comments that regulations.gov from up to 250 respondents for forwards to it. You may also visit the ADDRESSES :Interested parties are approximately 90 minutes each; thus, FTC Website athttp://www.ftc.govto invited to submit written comments approximately 375 hours in total. Pre read the Notice and the news release electronically or in paper form. testing hours are not included in the describing it. Comments should refer to ‘‘Fraud estimated burden because the pretest Susceptibility Internet Panel Study, FTC A comment filed in paper form subjects will be FTC employees. File No. P095500’’ to facilitate the should include the reference Fraud C. Estimated Costs Burden organization of comments. Please note Susceptibility Internet Panel Study, FTC that your comment—including your The cost per respondent should be File No. P095500’’ both in the text and name and your state—will be placed on negligible. Participation will not require on the envelope, and should be mailed the public record of this proceeding, startup, capital, or labor expenditures or delivered to the following address: including on the publicly accessible by respondents. The abovenoted Federal Trade Commission, Office of the FTC Website, at (http://www.ftc.gov/os/ contractor will recruit the student and Secretary, Room H135 (Annex J), 600 publiccomments.shtm). community member subjects to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, Because comments will be made participate in this study; subjects will be DC 20580. The FTC is requesting that public, they should not include any asked to respond to an initial any comment filed in paper form be sent sensitive personal information, such as recruitment email to participate by courier or overnight service, if an individual’s Social Security Number; voluntarily. Staff will compensate all possible, because U.S. postal mail in the date of birth; driver’s license number or subjects for their participation in the 90 Washington area and at the Commission other state identification number, or minute study. Subjects will receive is subject to delay due to heightened foreign country equivalent; passport approximately $8 as a showup fee; in security precautions. number; financial account number; or addition, they will be compensated The FTC Act and other laws the credit or debit card number. Comments according to their choices for some of Commission administers permit the also should not include any sensitive the tasks. Staff expects subjects to earn collection of public comments to health information, such as medical on average $22 for these tasks, with a consider and use in this proceeding as records or other individually range of approximately $12$32, based appropriate. The Commission will identifiable health information. In on expectations of possible consider all timely and responsive addition, comments should not include experimental outcomes. As such, public comments that it receives, any ‘‘[t]rade secret or any commercial or subjects will receive approximately $20 whether filed in paper or electronic financial information which is obtained $40 for the 90minute study. form. Comments received will be from any person and which is privileged available to the public on the FTC By direction of the Commission. or confidential. . . .,’’ as provided in Website, to the extent practicable, at Donald S. Clark, Section 6(f) of the Federal Trade (http://www.ftc.gov/os/ Commission Act (‘‘FTC Act’’), 15 U.S.C. Secretary publiccomments.shtm). As a matter of 46(f), and FTC Rule 4.10(a)(2), 16 CFR [FR Doc. E9–13642 Filed 6–10–09: 8:45 am] discretion, the Commission makes every 4.10(a)(2). Comments containing [BILLING CODE 6750–01–S] effort to remove home contact material for which confidential information for individuals from the treatment is requested must be filed in public comments it receives before paper form, must be clearly labeled FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION placing those comments on the FTC ‘‘Confidential,’’ and must comply with 1 Website. More information, including Agency Information CollectionFTC Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c). routine uses permitted by the Privacy Activities; Proposed Collection; Because paper mail addressed to the Act, may be found in the FTC’s privacy Comment Request FTC is subject to delay due to heightened security screening, please policy, at (http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/ AGENCY :Federal Trade Commission consider submitting your comments in privacy.shtm). (‘‘FTC’’ or ‘‘Commission’’). electronic form. Comments filed in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT : ACTION :Notice. electronic form should be submitted by Requests for additional information using the following weblink: (https:// SUMMARY :The FTC intends to conduct should be addressed to Keith B. two exploratory studies on consumer 1 Anderson, Economist, Bureau of The comment must be accompanied by an susceptibility to fraudulent and explicit request for confidential treatment, Economics, Federal Trade Commission, deceptive marketing. This research will including the factual and legal basis for the request, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Mail be conducted to further the FTC’s and must identify the specific portions of the Stop NJ4136, Washington, DC 20580. comment to be withheld from the public record. mission of protecting consumers from Telephone: (202) 3263428; email: The request will be granted or denied by the unfair and deceptive marketing. Before Commission’s General Counsel, consistent with [e-mail]. gathering this information, the FTC is applicable law and the public interest.SeeFTC seeking public comments on its Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :

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