March 1–7, 2026 marks National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW). It is a time when government agencies, nonprofits, and community partners across the country work together to educate consumers about fraud, scams, and their rights.
Led nationally by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), their focus is on helping people avoid scams, report scams, and recover from scams.
CyberWyoming, as a proud member of the Wyoming CAN (Cybersecurity Action Network) Committee, believes this week is the perfect time to spotlight Wyoming’s consumer protection rights and why many of our laws urgently need updating.
Why CyberWyoming Is Raising Awareness
Wyoming’s consumer protection and computer crime laws were written for a very different technological world.
The Wyoming CAN Committee has studied strategies from other states and national programs to build a long-term cybersecurity approach tailored to Wyoming.
The committee has redlined legislative updates ready to go. Now we need action.
FIVE AREAS WHERE WYOMING LAW IS OUTDATED
Computer Crimes Definitions Do Not Reflect Modern Payments
Wyoming’s computer crimes code 6-3-501 (Computer Crimes Definitions) doesn’t have debit cards, internet pay services like Venmo, or cryptocurrency listed.
And, that 6-3-803 (Unlawful Skimming of Credit, Debit, or Other Electronic Payment Cards) has wording about devices that is severely outdated and doesn’t mention chips.
Confusing Extortion Laws
Why do we have two laws when it is all extortion?
Consumer Protection Laws Do Not Cover Email and Text Scams
Wyoming’s Consumer Protection laws are so out of date they don’t discuss email or text scams (40-12-102), and it only discusses writing to the credit reporting agencies and sending a $10 check as the method of creating a credit freeze on your account (40-12-503 & 40-12-506).
Clearly, these laws were written before the cloud was invented.
Identity Theft Victims Revictimized
Wyoming’s Consumer Protection laws require the victim of identity theft to go to court, incur court fees, and submit a full set of fingerprints to the State Attorney General’s Office to prove their identity. (40-12-509) Why?
Data Breach Laws – Did you get your money?
According to Wyoming Statute 40-12-508, residents who had a credit freeze with Equifax and were victims of the Equifax breach should have been notified within 5 days.
The notification was required to include instructions for filing a complaint with the FTC and the State Attorney General, and if Equifax failed to do so, as it did, a civil penalty of $1,000 plus damages should have been awarded to each affected person.
Obviously, Wyoming’s consumer protection laws are outdated and unenforceable.
Why Updating the Law Matters
Outdated laws create:
Weak deterrence against modern criminals
Confusion in enforcement
Barriers for victims seeking help
Modern cybercrime includes ransomware, business email compromise, SIM swapping, cryptocurrency theft, AI-enabled fraud, and deepfake impersonation scams. Wyoming statutes were written before many of these threats existed.
What You Can Do
Call your state representative and ask them to update our computer crimes and consumer protection laws!
The Wyoming CAN committee has redlined laws ready to go.
National Consumer Protection Week is about empowerment. Through education, modernization, and coordinated action, we can build a stronger, safer digital future for our state.
The FTC’s 2026 Focus: Avoid, Report, Recover
The FTC teaches consumers to watch for four key signs of a scam:
Scammers pretend to be from organizations you trust, including government agencies, banks, or charities.
They claim there is a problem or a prize.
They pressure you to act immediately.
They demand you pay in a specific way, such as cryptocurrency, wire transfers, gift cards, or payment apps.
How to avoid a scam:
Block unwanted calls and texts.
Never share personal or financial information unexpectedly.
Do not click suspicious links. Contact the company directly using a trusted phone number or website.
Resist pressure tactics.
Do not pay using cryptocurrency, gift cards, or wire transfers if requested.
Talk to someone you trust before acting.
The FTC encourages everyone to report fraud at: ReportFraud.ftc.gov
When you report:
Your information is shared with more than 2,800 law enforcement partners.
Reports help investigators track patterns of fraud.
Data helps educate communities.
Note: The FTC will never threaten you, tell you to move money to “protect it,” or demand payment in gold, cryptocurrency, or gift cards.
If you have been scammed:
Contact your bank or credit card company immediately.
Report unauthorized wire transfers.
Notify payment apps or gift card companies.
Visit IdentityTheft.gov if your identity was stolen.
Report the incident to the FTC.
The faster you act, the better your chances of limiting damage.
