Ruben H. of Chicago found out why his gas and electric bills were getting so high through his landlord: He had been enrolled with an alternative supplier, Direct Energy, since 2015. And he paid nearly twice what the utilities charge. He called ComEd and Peoples Gas, and then contacted Direct…...
DEA uncovers scam that could net you a refund
AT&T has agreed to pay nearly $7.8 million to settle government allegations that the phone giant allowed scammers to charge some customers about $9 a month for a fake directory assistance service, uncovered in a sting from, of all places, the Drug Enforcement Agency. The settlement, announced by the Federal Communications Commission…...
The $105 million cramming settlement: what you need to know
Last week, we brought you great news: Federal regulators, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, and her counterparts from across the nation have reached a $105 million settlement with AT&T to settle claims that its customers were hit with unauthorized third-party charges. It’s a scam called “cramming,” and we couldn’t be happier to hear that authorities are…...
Crackdown on Cramming
Did you know that cell phone carriers can profit up to 40 percent on fraudulent third-party fees on your bill? We were shocked, too. Not only do these third parties “cram” charges for services you never ordered onto your bill, but wireless carriers are taking a cut! Recently, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed…...
Kick “cramming” off our wireless bills!
Fraudulent third-party charges could cost wireless customers up to $887 million a year. That’s according to a nationwide coalition of consumer advocates, including CUB, who are pushing federal regulators to adopt tough rules cracking down on the “cramming” scam. Cramming is when a third-party company places a charge on your…...
