Information is power, and it is a critical edge that scam artists have over their victims.

If you get an “official” check in the mail, is it a windfall, or an invitation to identify theft? Will the promise of a financial lifeline you hear on the radio or television help you avoid foreclosure, or will it cost you your home and future financial security?

On March 4, Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray held the first-ever Ohio Consumer Protection Summit. In his keynote – the video is available below -- Cordray offered support for the creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Agency at the federal level to protect consumers from dangerous financial products.

Cordray also introduced the scam alert widget, a new tool that will offer up-to-the-minute updates on various scams in the marketplace.

Starting in March, census forms will be delivered by mail to every residence in the United States. By participating in the 2010 Census, you will help Ohio get needed resources and federal funding for projects like new roads, schools and hospitals.

While it is very important to participate in the 2010 Census, it is also important to distinguish the real census takers from the fake.

Job hunters are still having trouble finding jobs in today’s economy and, unfortunately, scammers still are finding ways to exploit them.

One consumer reported a job scam in which he received a $2,330 check and instructions to make purchases with local merchants. He was told to deposit the check, then wire transfer $1,800 to Canada. In exchange, he could keep $400 as his “salary”.

Scammers are using Jamaican area code phone numbers to call consumers and try to trick them into sending money in order to claim a “prize.”  In just two weeks, Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray’s office has received ten complaints about phony sweepstakes calls from area code 876.

One scammer pretended to be the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and told the consumer he had won $2 million--but first he had to send $499 by wire transfer in order to get the prize.