“Deceptive billing” or fraudulent billing is a broad term which includes auto-renewal schemes. Essentially, it is the fraudulent act of charging or invoicing funds from a person or entity without showing their obligation to pay. Auto-renewal is a form of deceptive billing that is carried out by algorithms and machines with little-to-no direct human oversight.
Deceptive billing, auto-renewal, and financial fraud settlements or verdicts could cover:
Economic Damages: A reimbursement of the money you were charged under the “out-of pocket” rule, which means restoring a defrauded person the financial position they were in before the fraud occurred. Other monetary losses may be covered as well, such as if you lost a business or loan opportunity as a result of the incident.
Mental Anguish Damages: Fraudulent or unauthorized billing activity causes enormous amounts of stress if it means a person cannot cover necessary expenses (like rent). A person could also reasonably assume they were the victim of identity theft, and spend time and effort trying to fix their accounts. The psychological impact of fraud also deserves compensation.
Attorneys’ Fees: A settlement or verdict can explicitly cover your attorneys’ fees in addition to your damages, so they do not come out of your share of the award.
An experienced financial fraud attorney will work to see that you’re compensated both economically and emotionally. Our goal at The Lyon Firm is to see our clients are not only refunded their money, but also made whole after the ordeal of being defrauded. Call us today at (513) 381-2333 to discuss your specific situation, and what you need to make it right again.
Auto-renewal and deceptive billing cases often involve a vast amount of customers or consumers, and could lead to a class-action lawsuit. Your choice to pursue your case could help alert others to fraud, and prompt a class-action suit that brings positive industry-wide change. See the FAQs for examples of influence class-action victories.