Outsmart Scammers: Avoid Phone Cramming

According to the Federal Trade Commission, millions of Americans are affected by telephone fraud every year. But did you know that you could be a victim of these crimes without ever answering a call? Unscrupulous companies can add unauthorized charges to your phone bill for services that you have never requested in a scam called “Phone Cramming.”

These crooks rely on lengthy and confusing phone bills to try and trick you into paying for long distance calls, toll calls, or unwanted services – even recurring monthly charges.

It’s very important to review all charges each month to make sure you aren’t being crammed. Here are some things to watch out for when reading your phone bill so you can protect yourself, and save some money:

• Review your phone bill as closely as you would a credit card statement.
• Check to make sure you recognize all the charges listed on your bill, including any services that were provided.
• If any charge listed on your bill is unclear, ask the company that billed the charge to explain the service provided before paying the charge.
• Make sure you know what service was provided, even for small charges. Crammers often try to go sneak in charges of $2.00 or $3.00 to thousands of consumers.
• Always read forms and promotional materials carefully before signing up for telephone or other services to be billed on your phone bill.

If you need to file a complaint, you can contact the FCC or the FTC to report fraudulent charges on your bill.