Blumenthal: Scrutinize Telephone Bills For Possible Illegal ‘Cramming’

HARTFORD — It may only be a difference of a few dollars, but companies out there can potentially make millions by “cramming” a few dollars in unauthorized charges on thousands of unsuspecting people’s phone bills. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is now warning consumers to closely scrutinize their telephone bills for questionable or unauthorized charges that may have been improperly imposed by companies through “billing aggregators,” third parties that contract with telephone companies to bill for certain service charges.

If a consumer has received unauthorized charges for certain phone or other services, the consumer may be a victim of “cramming” – an illegal practice in which businesses charge products or services to telephone bills without the consumer’s permission.

Consumers who discover such unauthorized or questionable charges should contact their phone company, and the company listed on the bill, to dispute the charge, and immediately report the matter to Mr Blumenthal’s office, which is investigating this practice.

“My office has started a preliminary investigation into certain charges by billing aggregators – third party companies that have billing contracts with telephone companies for certain charges – to ensure that this potentially illegal practice is stopped,” the Attorney General said.

“Cramming is clearly increasing,” he continued. “Our investigation concerns illicit costs imposed by companies through billing aggregators in the hope that consumers won’t notice or challenge them, especially during the holiday season when bills mount in number.

“Suspicious charges for voicemail or directory assistance should be questioned and disputed, along with other unauthorized items. If consumers suspect they’ve been billed for unauthorized services, they should contact my office,” he added.

These charges may include one time or recurring charges for voice mail, web-related services, Internet Yellow Page listings or directory assistance consumers unknowingly agreed to purchase.

Consumers may also incur unintended charges while shopping on the Internet. On some websites, consumers may be asked to provide a telephone number or other information in order to obtain shopping coupons, recipes or to complete a survey. Consumers should read any fine print on such sites — particularly before providing personal information and clicking “submit” — to ensure whether they may actually be signing up for an unwanted service.

“Consumers can protect themselves by scrutinizing and disputing questionable charges on bills every month,” Mr Blumenthal said. “Consumer vigilance is vital to avoid paying hundreds of dollars in unauthorized charges. Some companies may cash in on consumer confusion or carelessness, hoping that consumers would rather pay a small questionable charge rather than spend time and energy to contest it. The message today: No matter how small the wrongful charge, fight it and report it.”

Mr Blumenthal recommends the following tips to avoid unwanted charges on telephone bills, and what to do when they are imposed:

*When surfing and shopping on the Internet, read all the fine print. Don’t click “Submit” unless you understand what you are agreeing to.

Avoid “gifts” or “offers” that seem too good to be true; these often require you to purchase an unwanted product or service.

*Be cautious about submitting any personal information, whether by telephone, mail or on the Internet.

*Carefully scrutinize your telephone bill each month, checking for the names of companies that you don’t recognize, or charges that you don’t remember authorizing.

*If you discover possible unauthorized charges, contact your local telephone company, as well as the billing aggregator identified on your bill, to inform them that you dispute the charge.

*Write to the Attorney General’s Office at 110 Sherman Street, Hartford CT 06105, if you believe that you have been billed for charges that you never authorized, and include a copy of your bill.