Complaint Review: AT&T - Aurora Illinois

This is a letter that I sent to AT&T regarding bill I recieved from them charged to after my child recieved a unsolicited email, which when opened downloaded a automatic dialer onto my system. Does anyone know how to trace a international call? AT&T would not provide me with companies name. It would be helpful to know the companies name. The number on my bill is 245290206 which is a number in Guinea-Bissau Africa.

Sent to fax number 800-538 5345

ATTN: 0300

Attached is a bill that I received for charges to AT&T. I have contacted AT&T numerous times in connection with this bill and have yet been unable to resolve this issue. Today I was informed that I should fax a copy of the bill in order to dispute this charge.

This all started for me when I received my phone bill dated September 9, 2003 and there was a $140.28 charge from AT&T on my Verizon telephone bill for a call which neither I, nor anyone in my household, had made. When I contacted AT&T in regard to this matter I was given the explanations from an AT& service representative that this company acted on AT&T's behalf and signed me up for a long distance account with AT&T. I was informed that this phone number was to a pornographic site. I was told that the call was to Guinea-Bissau Africa after first connecting through a location within the USA. The call was than transferred to Africa. So in essence this call was not made to Africa only re-routed to Africa. Upon further research, I have realized that my 13 year old had received an unsolicited pornographic email, which when opened, installed an automatic dialer onto my computer system. When I logged onto the Internet the next time, this program used this dialer to redirect my connection to an international number. This all was done via a computer virus that was illegally installed onto my computer system. Based on FCC laws this is known as slamming I feel that AT&T is enabling this company to practice criminal activities by billing for this company. The call was made to a pornographic site, which came in the form of an unsolicited pornographic email to a minor and than installed it's s**t onto my computer system. The FBI considers this a Crime Against Children because they are using an on-line computer to distribute unsolicited pornographic materials to a minor and therefore are sexually exploiting a child. Though I do have a parental control filter attached to his Internet use, this came in the guise of an email, which installed itself after opening.

The program was a bright blue & white "e" icon on my desktop entitled "NoCreditCard". Unfortunately, it took me a while to connect all of this information together and realize what had transpired. After I realized this dialer was attached to my system I removed the program. In doing so, I found that this program had changed some critical Microsoft programs on my system without my authorization to do so. In fact, after I removed it from my system it kept reinstalling itself back on my computer. These events caused my hard drive to crash and I had to install a new hard drive. This installed dialerware is Malicious Software due to the fact that it changes CRITICAL Microsoft settings without the computer owner's approval, which resulted in personal property damage.

This company is misusing the international telephone billing system to charge consumers for Internet-based "adult" entertainment - that the consumers never purchased or authorized. This installed dialer software program disconnects computer users from their regular Internet Service Provider and than reconnects them to a server that connects to an international number which accessed the adult content site without any means of verifying that the user was the telephone line subscriber or was authorized in any way to incur charges on the line subscriber's bill. Once the dialer software was installed, it disconnected my modem from its usual Internet service provider, redirected the connection to dial this international phone number in Africa and reconnected the modem to the Internet from some other location. In addition, the company must use an Automatic Number Identification system to determine the telephone number from which the call was placed and is charging that phone line's subscriber regardless of whether he or she was the person who downloaded the program and accessed the "videotext" services. The owner of the dialer program is billing someone without confirming whether the person who owned the phone line was actually the person accessing the Web sites, much less if they were adults. This dialer did not incorporate any age-verification mechanism to prevent access by minors to hardcore pornography on its network, as is required by U.S. Law. This company sent email with unsolicited obscene material to child's email address, which distributed pornography to a minor, they entered into a contract with a minor, and they have committed a crime against a minor under the Federal Obscenity Statue 19 U.S.C. 1470 TRANSFER OF OBSCENE MATERIALS TO A MINOR, which states that it is a violation of criminal law for any person to knowingly or attempt to send or transfer obscene material to another individual who has not attained the age of 16 years. In doing so they sexually exploited my child. In pursuing this fraudulent business tactics, this company did indeed attempt to send and transfer obscene material to my child who is under the age of 16.

I have not been unable to ascertain what the name of the company is who is responsible for 1) Internet dialer fraud 2) fraudulent charges 3) scam 4) slamming 5) sending unsolicited emails to a minor for porn sites 6) distributing pornography to a minor 7) illegal charges for calls not made and 7) is billing for telephone call not made. When I requested this information, the AT&T representative informed me that they could not give me that information. I find it amazing that AT&T would bill for this type of criminal activity, but is unwilling to identify them to those that they are perpetrating this crime against.

I want to strongly state that I dispute these charges and will not pay this charge or any other charges resulting in this charge. I have been illegally slammed by whoever this company is or by AT&T. Due to this bill being generated through deception and fraud, there is no way in that I would be willing to pay this. This a third-party bill not a bill for a call placed through a legitimate AT&T long distance provider. It is a bill from a third-party billing company that is using AT&T to pass it along to me. I would recommend that AT&T, as a company, refuse to act as a billing agent for companies who observe fraudulent business practices and let them do there own billing from now on. I cannot imagine that this is economically feasible for AT&T to act as billing agent for these types of unsolicited calls.

I would like to be advised of the name of this company. Just because someone bills me for something does not mean I have to pay the charge. The only option that this company has to collect this amount from me is legally. I would rather pay a lawyer this amount than pay it to a company that sends unsolicited obscene material to children. I do not believe that they could convince a Judge that I owe them anything. I believe I have a strong case against them. 1) An under-aged person inadvertently accessed these services while checking his email and was unauthorized to access services provided by this company. 2) Who ever this company is, they place virus programs on my computer without my authorization, which resulted in property damage 3) This company sent a unsolicited pornographic email to a minor 4) I was slammed when I was signed up for AT&T long distance without my authorization.

To make matters worse, I am now being charged for AT&T long distance service for which I never requested nor authorized. I would like to request a copy of what authorization AT&T had to switch me and proof that AT&T verified this change request. I was informed that I would receive a credit for $18.12 for the months of January and February 2004. I am requesting a refund for any other charges that incurred due to this unauthorized long distance provider change. I have already had to pay a $5 fee to Verizon to cancel AT&T long distance service as well as a $13 telephone reconnect fee that they charged me because my telephone being disconnected due to this unpaid bill. I would also like AT&T to inform me why AT&T billed me for a long distance call, when I had MCI as my long distance provider on the day this call was allegedly placed. MCI should have been the billing agent not AT&T. Your representative tried to tell me that it was because AT&T owned the line that the call was made to. If this is the case than whichever company owns the line that enters my home should receive all funds generated by me for telephone service, which is of course not the case. If by some remote chance you do own the line I suggest you cut it. Or does this actually mean that AT&T owns this company and that the phone calls that were automatically dialed from my computer, which supplied access to pornography to a minor, was supplied by AT&T? Is that what the AT&T representative meant when they stated that the reason why I was billed by AT&T and not MCI was because AT&T owned this line? I feel that AT&T owes me an explanation regarding this unauthorized switch.

I would also like to bring to your attention the fact that when I tried to gain information regarding the AT&T long distance charges some of the difficulties that I have encountered with AT&T. After I was on hold for 2 hours and a customer service representative told I, that there was nothing that could be done regarding the $140.27 charge. When I asked to speak with a supervisor I was transferred to your slammer division. This person lied to me and said that Verizon had sent the requesting AT&T long distance service so he could not do anything to help me. He suggested that I contact the FBI regarding distributing child pornography to a minor. He than transferred me back to customer service where after holding for hours this person disconnected me after I explained what I was calling for. When I called back I spoke with the first person that was any assistance by giving me this fax number. Customer Service does not seem to apply when it comes to solving problems. I spent well over 3 hours on the telephone today trying to get some assistance to this matter, which I never did receive. These are not the only attempts that I have made in regard to this matter, just the latest. The first two employee who I spoke to today ID # are 1) W50MF2P 2) W6GMF53. The FCC and various state commissions have rules regarding slamming. When you contact your telecommunications carrier to report being slammed, they must advise you of the following rights: You have the right to file a complaint with the FCC or state public utility commission if you believe you have been slammed. If you file an informal complaint with the FCC or state commission, the unauthorized carrier must respond to your allegation by producing evidence of the third-party verification such as providing you with an audio recording or a copy of the written authorization. I was never informed of any of this by any of your employees who I have spoken with regarding these issues as per the FCC regulations.

The final outcome that I expecting in regard to my dealing with AT&T in this matter are 1) Credit for $140.27 plus any other charges relating to this amount. Ex. Late fees, taxes, bill statement fees ECT. 2) Credit for all charges resulting in the unauthorized sign up for AT&T long distance service 3) The name and phone number of the third party billing company 4) Company that has the phone number 245290106 located in Guinea-Bissau Africa 5) Exact routing this call made before rerouting to Africa 6) Telephone numbers for the routing exchanges 6) Place an international block on all international calls which I requested AT&T do back in December 2003 and was informed today was not done 7) Any future charges between AT&T and myself be billed directly to me not through Verizon 8) Explain to me why AT&T billed me instead of MCI 9) Exactly why and when I was signed up for AT&T long distance 10) If any credit reports have been issued regarding these charges, that a retraction to credit bureau be issued 11) I do not recognize any credits concerning this issue as a one time only credit. If I ever encounter this again I expect AT&T to honor fair trade practices. We must all be aware of who or what we are dealing with in business. Perhaps AT&T should put a block on companies that practice this type of fraudulent business tactics.

I do not owe AT&T any funds. I have not had AT&T as a long distance provider for at least the past 12 years. I never requested nor authorized AT&T to be my long distance provider nor did I dial any prefix number to access AT&T to make along distance call. I do not accept nor acknowledge any charges made by AT&T because I have not requested AT&T to provide me with any service. The FTC charges that billing and attempting to collect money from consumers who had not authorized the charges, is unfair and deceptive and violates federal law. The FTC also states that billing consumers without their express, verifiable authorization; and bars billing through third parties without identifying their corporate name and bars billing phone numbers without the express, verifiable authorization of the line subscriber. In this case the computer user was not the telephone line subscriber and I first learned of the dialer software when I looked at my phone bill and found charges of $7.19 a minute for a call supposedly made to Guinea-Bissau, Africa. The FTC maintains that billing and attempting to collect from line subscribers who did not access or authorized access to the Web site and that claiming that line subscribers is obligated to pay because their lines may have been used to gain such access was unfair and deceptive and violated the FTC Act.

An AT&T representative informed me, that I was responsible for any charges made from my telephone. In fact, I am not responsible if I am billed because a company entered into a contract with my child. This charge is actually nullified in view of the fact that a minor is unable enter into a contract of any kind especially the adult content variety. My 13 year old does not have the legally ability to establish a contract for the line subscriber (myself) and this company. There is no recourse that this company has to collect these charges from a minor. In entering in a contract with a minor this company conduct constitutes unfair or deceptive acts or practices in trade or commerce and unfair methods of competition in violation of the Consumer Protection Act, RCW 19.86.020. The same applies to whatever company illegally signed me up for AT&T long distance service without verifying that a contract did indeed exist.

I look forward to a prompt resolution to the charges that have been AT&T has billed to me.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Stewart R. Reed

I would also like to inform AT&T, that after a great deal of research into this issue I have been advised that I should file fraud complaints regarding this matter with the following: (a task that I have almost completed)

File a complaint with AT&T since they may have helped switch my carrier without my consent. (Which I am lead to believe because of the unsolicited AT&T long distance provider charges on my February and March 2004 telephone bills and the AT&T representative who informed that AT&T owned the line that the call was made to)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/... The President

http://www.state.va.us/lps/ ... Attorney General of Virginia

http://www.state.va.us/lps/ca/comp.htm .... Complaint form VA

http://www.ftc.gov ...Federal Trade Commission

http://www.ifccfbi.gov ....Internet Fraud Consumer Complaint-FBI

http://www.fbi.gov ...FBI Tips

http://www.fcc.gov ....Federal Communication Commission

http://www.missingkids.com/cybertip/ National Center for Missing or Exploited Children

http://www.usps.com ...United States Postal Service Fraud

http://www.fraud.org ...National Internet fraud Watch

Guinea-Bissau it is known as one of the top countries for adult entertainment so I will send a letter to:

Send Fax to

The Spokesman for United Nations, Secretary Kofi Annan. FAX NUMBER: 212-963-7055

And to :

Diplomatic Representative Guinea -Bissau

918 16th Street NW

Mezzanine Suite

Washington, DC 20006

Karen

Blacksburg, Virginia
U.S.A.

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