For example, when a consumer dials a number to learn about a product, get sports scores, or hear their horoscope, their home telephone number is often captured through a number identification system. Crammers then use the telephone number to submit bogus charges to the consumer's local telephone company. Worse, crammers are not limited to finding victims through incoming calls. The white pages directory lists their potential prey in alphabetical order. Again, the crammer simply selects telephone numbers at random and submits bogus charges for billing.
Some crammers use names on telephone bills that intend to mislead or confuse the consumer.
In addition, there is often a middleman involved that submits billing to the local telephone service provider on behalf of multiple vendors, further complicating matters for consumers who want to dispute a charge. Of course, these charges add up. Many more choices are available to consumers today to make purchases of goods and services they want and need. Unfortunately these benefits also create many more opportunities for consumer confusion and fraud. Mr. Speaker, we need tough legislation to stop bad actors who are cramming bogus charges onto our constituents' phone bills.