Protecting Consumers at the FTC

Carson Sheumaker, COL & WH ’23, Smyrna, Tennessee

This past summer, I worked at the Federal Trade Commission’s Division of Financial Practices (DFP) in the Bureau of Consumer Protection. DFP focuses on protecting consumers from manipulative financial practices. This internship was one of the greatest learning experiences I have ever had.

Over the course of the internship, I learned about the automotive and education industries. I learned about fraud and different types of scams that harmed consumers. And, overall, I learned about how DFP was addressing these issues to protect consumers.

In my work, I was able to research these industries and relevant consumer complaints. I also had the opportunity to speak with many consumers who were harmed by different business practices. Through those interviews, I was able to get a deeper insight into why the FTC and DFP need to protect consumers. And, I was able to help collect consumer statements firsthand to help the Commission pursue enforcement action.

Additionally, inline with the DFP’s mission, I was able to take a deep dive into subpoenaed documents to search for signs of noncompliance of large businesses. Through my work, I learned how to swiftly analyze and synthesize activities of many companies to help direct further enforcement efforts.

Overall, the summer was very informative and has given me further inspiration to pursue law in the future. I deeply appreciate the individuals of DFP for being so welcoming and would encourage anyone in the future to pursue an internship at the FTC.

This is part of a series of posts by recipients of the 2022 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they spent their summer. You can read the entire series here.

By Career Services
Career Services