HARRISBURG — Following the observance of Hispanic Heritage Month, Attorney General Josh Shapiro is advising Pennsylvanians of his Office’s priority to increase awareness of consumer protection resources for the Latino community in Pennsylvania.
Today in Philadelphia, the Attorney General hosted an educational event to appreciate the cultural contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans and their impact on American history. The event was developed by staffers within the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection and Office of Public Engagement.
“As Pennsylvania’s chief law enforcement officer, my duty is to protect all Pennsylvanians from scams and lawless behavior, and I am committed to ensuring that members of the Latino community know what resources are available to them,” Attorney General Shapiro said. “With 837,000 individuals living in Pennsylvania who primarily Spanish, we saw the need to expand our consumer resources. Every day, my Office is working to break down barriers and better protect Pennsylvanians.”
OAG agents are also increasing consumer education resources at events across the Commonwealth. A few of the events recently attended during Hispanic Heritage Month include: the 34th annual Feria del Barrio in Philadelphia, the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs at Soldiers Grove in Harrisburg, and the Latino Music Festival in Lancaster.
Below is a list of resources available to the Spanish-speaking community from the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection:
- Call 800-441-2225 to speak with a bilingual agent
- Consumer Protection Booklets in Spanish
- Complaints can be filed in Spanish at estafas@attorneygeneral.gov or online
“I want to hear from and help all Pennsylvanians who think they have been victimized by a scam,” Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. “The resources offered by the Office of Attorney General make it easier for people in this community to file a complaint and get help, and it’s critical they know how to ask for assistance when they need it.”
The Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection is made up of a diverse and bilingual staff and is committed to becoming more accessible to the Latino and Spanish-speaking community.
The Office of Attorney General’s first-ever Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Ebony Caldwell, also spoke at the event today delivering a message that the office has made strides in increasing diversity, but there is still work to be done to become even more inclusive. Her mission is to infuse diversity into everything the office does, taking that commitment from a ‘nice to have’ to an agency priority. During Shapiro’s first year in office, 16 percent of all new hires were people of color, and women hires increased eight percent.
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