Examples of Telephone-billed Fraud reported to the National Fraud Information Center

• California woman responded to TV commercial for free psychic reading, called the 800 number and was told repeatedly there would be no charge. Subsequently charged on phone bills for $10 monthly membership fee.
  
• California man reported that a collection agency was dunning mother for 800 number calls made a year after she died.
  
• California man responded to pager message to call 888 number. Got recording, put on hold for 4 minutes and hung up, later received $45 bill for call.
  
• Michigan man received bills totaling $386 for 800 number calls never made. Called company listed on bill, got recorded message saying that there would be $5 per minute to dispute charges.
  
• South Carolina woman called 800 number for free psychic reading, was given 900 number to call and told first 3 minutes was free and to hang up when she heard a tone. Followed instructions but was billed for the 3 minutes.
  
• Mississippi woman called 800 number for psychic reading but was charged for 900 number call. Company insisted she dialed 900 number, said it was impossible for them to charge her for 900 number call if she didn't.
  
• Washington woman's underage son called 800 number listed on web site, but call was rerouted to number in Guyana. Long distance company said she had to pay or lose her service.
  
• North Carolina woman's 13 year-old daughter called 800 number listed in magazine ad for music hotline. Switched to international number, resulting in $1,200 phone bill.
  
• New Hampshire woman received charges for 4 calls to Toronto that were made when she was in Florida and no one else had access to her home.
  
• Arizona woman billed for international calls to sex line. Called company listed on bill to dispute, transferred to supervisor who mocked her and then announced building was on fire and hung up.
  
• California man received fax at his small business requesting information about services. Number to respond to was 900 number that would result in $35 charge.
  
• Massachusetts couple received bill for 900 number calls made when they were away on business in different towns and no one else had access to their home. Local phone company removed charges but now vendor seeking payment through collection agency.
  
• Massachusetts woman who had 900 block on phone received bill for 900 calls never made.
  
• Alabama man called 900 number and agreed for charges to be debited from bank account. But 3 months later account was debited again even though no more calls were made.
  
• North Carolina man received bill for 900 number calls never made. Called company listed on bill to dispute, played him tape of stranger.
  
• New York woman received bill for 900 number calls supposedly made in November from number she no longer had, which had been disconnected the previous July.
  
• New York man called 900 number for free psychic reading, was put on hold for 55 minutes and finally hung up. Received bill for $394.
  
• Maine woman called 900 number psychic hotline, left on hold for 45 minutes and hung up. Was charged for call, which company agreed to remove, but later billed for monthly fee for services never requested.
  
• Illinois man charged for 3 19-minute collect calls from Florida from adult entertainment provider. No one in house accepted calls.
  
• Delaware consumer charged for collect calls from England made at times when he not even home.
  
• Massachusetts woman received calls with no voice. Later received bill for collect calls from Florida made that same date.
• Florida woman received collect call on answering machine, charged $4 even though never accepted.
  
• California woman received collect call from someone claiming to be from fire department about an emergency. She accepted but no one there, was charged $21 for call.
  
• New York woman received collect call from a "Jennifer," she accepted but got recording about children's rights. Later received letter saying that there would be $8 charge on next phone bill.
  
• North Carolina man charged $20 per month on phone bill for Internet services never requested. He doesn't even have a computer.
  
• New York woman being billed for "calling card privacy protection" she never authorized.
  
• New York woman charged for voice mail never requested. Local phone company removed disputed charge from bill but vendor billed for it again the next month.
  
• North Carolina woman receiving $10 month charge for long distance service from company she never heard of, still has original long-distance carrier.
  
• Wisconsin man received calling card never requested. He destroyed it and called company to cancel, but is being billed for calling card anyway.
  
  
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