P
K,#2Consumer Suggestion
Mon, June 09, 2003
RACHEAL:
You should immediately contact the Tallahassee Economic Crimes Unit ! !
Florida Attorney General's ALYON Case Number: L03-3-1086
Subject of investigation: Alyon Technologies, USCI, Inc., TelCollect, Inc.
Subject's address: 1 Harmon Plaza 2nd Fl, Secaucus, NJ 07094
Subject's business: Telemarketing
Allegation or issue being investigated: False, Unsolicited Billings, (censored), RICO
Status of case: Investigation opened
Subject's position: No response at this time
AG unit handling case: Economic Crimes Division in Tallahassee, Florida
Economic Crimes - Tallahassee Office
Telephone
Voice: 850-414-3600
Fax: 850-488-4483
Mailing address
Economic Crimes Division
Office of the Attorney General
The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050
Location
Collins Building
Fifth Floor
107 West Gaines Street
Maps to Attorney General's offices listed below at this link:
http://myfloridalegal.com/direct.nsf/Maps?OpenView
Daytona Beach
Fort Lauderdale
Fort Myers
Jacksonville
Miami
West Palm Beach
Orlando
Tallahassee
Tampa
13 STATES SUE PORN SITE FOR POP UP SCAM
On May 15th, 2003, Wisconsin and twelve other states sued an Internet firm that
allegedly billed people who tried to close pop-up windows for pornographic web sites.
The suits, filed in conjunction with the Federal Trade Commission,
allege Alyon Technologies Inc. violated advertising and telecommunications
laws by connecting Internet users to the company's toll phone number when
they tried to close Alyon's pop-up windows advertising porn sites.
The toll number charges $5 a minute, according to the complaint,
resulting in bills ranging from $14 to more than $1,000.
Other states that have sued are California, Connecticut,
FLORIDA,
Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio,
North Carolina, Nebraska, Texas and West Virginia.
Further information may be found at
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?storyID=2752669
Pennsylvania Attorney General already has reached an agreement:
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Pennsylvania Attorney General Mike Fisher today announced
that a New Jersey-based company that provides access and billing services for
pay-per-use "adult" web sites will provide full refunds to Pennsylvania
consumers who file complaints and document that they were erroneously or
unknowingly billed to access these sites during 2002 and 2003.
Fisher's Bureau of Consumer Protection filed an "Assurance of Voluntary
Compliance" agreement with Alyon Technologies Inc., Secaucus, New Jersey, to
resolve accusations of deceptive practices that resulted in nearly 70 complaints
from consumers throughout 28 Pennsylvania counties. The 70 consumers are
expected to receive a total of $14,000 in restitution.
According to investigators, Alyon Technologies in January 2002 contracted with
Electronic Group Interactive (EGI) to set up 900 number lines and 201 area code
numbers to enable Internet users to gain access to "adult" web sites. EGI has
agreements with numerous web site hosts that generate what is referred to as
"adult entertainment" Videotext material. The sites have been promoted to
Internet users through "spam" e-mails or "Pop-up" ads that appear on the
consumers' computer screens. Alyon tracked calls to these lines to perform the
billing for the Videotext services. Alyon also arranged to handle the collection
of unpaid bills.
Under the terms of the Assurance Alyon is required to include as a condition
of its contract with Videotext service providers, a prohibition against
advertising or distributing dialer programs through "spam" e-mails and "Pop-up"
ads on game web sites predominantly visited by minors.