FTC Clearance Request for Rural Fraud Research

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of
Routine Customer Feedback” (OMB Control Number: 3084-0159)
TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Rural Fraud Research: Focus Groups with Consumers
PURPOSE: The focus groups will inform the design of a consumer education program to reach
rural consumers with messages about fraud. The Division of Consumer and Business Education
seeks to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of consumers in rural areas as it
relates to consumer fraud issues relevant to the FTC’s consumer protection mission. This
research will help us to create content relevant to rural consumers and to design content
delivery mechanisms in a way most useful to those who deliver educational programs in rural
areas. Without this research, we are less confident that the delivery mechanisms, particularly,
would serve this audience well; with the research, we are confident that the education program
will benefit the target audience.
DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS: Adults (21 or older), both male and female, who live in “rural”
districts (they would both agree to that description, and live in districts that qualify as “rural”
according to typical standards).
TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)
[ ] Customer Comment Card/Complaint Form
[ ] Usability Testing (e.g., Website or Software
[X] Focus Group

[ ] Customer Satisfaction Survey
[ ] Small Discussion Group
[ ] Other: Message Testing Survey

CERTIFICATION:
I certify the following to be true:
1. The collection is voluntary.
2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.
3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal
agencies.
4. The results are not intended to be disseminated to the public.
5. Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential
policy decisions.
6. The collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions from respondents who have
experience with the program or may have experience with the program in the future.
Name: Andrew Johnson
To assist review, please provide answers to the following question:
Personally Identifiable Information:
1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [ ] Yes [X] No
2. If Yes, is the information that will be collected included in records that are subject to the
Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [ ] No
3. If Applicable, has a System or Records Notice been published? [ ] Yes [ ] No [x] N/A
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Gifts or Payments:
Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to
participants? [X] Yes [ ] No
We will offer an incentive of $75.00 for focus group participants.
BURDEN HOURS
Category of Respondent

No. of
Respondents
40
48

Private sector (Focus Groups)
Private sector (Screener)
Totals

Participation
Time
90 minutes
5 minutes

Burden
60 hrs
4 hrs
64 hrs

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $3,000.
If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please
provide answers to the following questions:
The selection of your targeted respondents
1. Do you have a customer list or something similar that defines the universe of potential
respondents and do you have a sampling plan for selecting from this universe?
[X] Yes [ ] No
If the answer is yes, please provide a description of both below (or attach the sampling plan)?
If the answer is no, please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential
group of respondents and how you will select them?
The researchers will recruit participants using databases of professionals (both proprietary and
other databases). Respondents will be selected according to screeners for the focus groups.
Administration of the Instrument
1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)
[ ] Web-based or other forms of Social Media
[ ] Telephone
[X] In-person
[ ] Mail
[ ] Other, Explain
2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [X] Yes [ ] No

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