Check your cell phone bills!

[AlmostThere]

PORTLAND, Ore. – Cell and landline customers in our area are getting ripped off every month by mystery charges.

Donna Becker, a Qwest customer, is out $45 and counting. Don Glad, a Verizon customer, is out $226.

Both got “crammed,” which means unauthorized charges from mystery companies were tacked onto their phone bills.

Even though both have been paying, they’ve never gotten any services in return. And the way the charges appear on the phone bill makes you think that they are legitimate.

You can look for similar charges on your own bill, usually on the last page.

The bogus charges aren't billed by phone companies like Qwest and Verizon but instead by what's called a third-party company. Legally, they can be consolidated or crammed into your phone bill but only if the charges are for an actual service that you knowingly agreed to. However, scammers are hoping you don't read your bill closely or simply mistake the charge - usually $12.95 to $14.95 per month - as legitimate.

If you see the names ESBI, American Evoice Limited Voicemail, Nationwide Emergency Voicemail or Intelicom Messaging, they are likely bogus.

Oregon Attorney General John Kroger said when his office receives enough complaints, the phone companies will work with his staff to make sure that the companies are not billing to illegitimate companies.

So it is vital to file your complaint with his office.

Here is some advice:

Check your bill and your past bills for these charges.
If you don't have copies of your bills, request them through your phone company.
If you find the bogus charges, call and dispute them with your phone company immediately.
Ask to have the charges removed and your account refunded.
If they tell you to contact the third-party biller, demand that they do it on your behalf.
Finally, if you're a Verizon customer, you can have a third-party biller block put on your account at no charge.
If you have another provider, call them and ask about their policy.

[retiredhappy]

Thanks for the heads up. I called Verizon and had my phone blocked. If it isn't one thing, its another.

[Gentleladybear]

Watch out for your home phones too. The company I work for have a lot of group homes and I found charges in excess of $100 each for computer IT services and back up services and we have our own IT tech. I called and we found they had asked questions until the manager said "yes" to something and recorded that conversation as the manager agreeing to the charges, after a stern talking to, they quickly decided it was all an error and credited the account for the full charge. This same thing can happen on credit cards, we found two 19.99 charges on the credit card, we got that off too.

Be careful these days.

Nan

[WickedLady]

There is always someone out there trying to take your money. Check ALL bills.

[OutandAbout]

As Nan stated concerning the "yes" response from the manager, be aware that when companies that you do business with call wanting to sell other services and say the call might be recorded, when answering their questions DO NOT use YES. say CORRECT instead. That way they can't change services or sign you up for other services. Definitely check all bills. (Sorry for the run on sentences.)

Linda