Sue
San Diego,#2Consumer Suggestion
Thu, July 29, 2004
All of you affected by what appear to be calls you did not make to the United Kingdom may very well be victims to modem hijacking. This problem usually occurs with dial-up. Here is how it works and ZPDI and its other names have been alerted to the problem by Utility Consumers' Action Network (UCAN): 1) Victims connect to the Internet with their own ISP 2) Victims click X's to remove pop-up box ads 3) Local phone bills start showing what appear to be long distance or international call charges billed by ZPDI in behalf of some small telecom provider no one has ever heard of. 4) Later, it is discovered that victims' ISPs were hijacked and rerouted to distant places via an auto-dialer mechanism. The internationally charged call time from this operation is not disconnected until victims disconnect their Internet service. 5) Victims have reported that they never entered any adult entertainment sites, never entered any sweepstakes or viewed ads related to them. 6) Victims end up with charges on their phone bills. Victims of this modem hijacking with bills for UK or Solomon Island calls, should email Billing Concepts in San Antonio, TX and ask to have these charges credited on their phone bills. If you experience problems in this endeavor, email [DELETED] with exact billing information. I will need to validate your case and then contact ZPDI. Don't forget to alert your state's Public Utilities Commission.
Judy
Jamestown,#3Consumer Comment
Wed, July 28, 2004
I just read this report, after filing my own report on ZPDI. The number she listed is the same number on my bill 4 times! There has to be something connecting that number to the scam they are running!
Sue
San Diego,#4Consumer Suggestion
Mon, July 19, 2004
You might want to try the following: 1. Call our local carrier and ask for 3rd party billing. Explain that you are disputing this charge as unauthorized and as one for which you adamantly deny making. Also look on the back of you phone bill to send a certified return receipt dispute letter with Cc to your local PUC, the FCC, USBI and the FTC. 2. Call the Regulatory Affairs Division and fax dispute letter Direct Phone: (210) 949-7405 Fax: (210) 615-0877 Toll Free #: (800) 460-9701 Ext. 7405 3. Call your local Public Utilities Commission and ask someone to help you, if needed. But, do not accept a reduction/discount in the amount you owe if you or a family member had nothing to do with the charge. USBI calls itself a "billing agent" only. But, you will find it difficult to reach the actual telecom companies that are using it to bill you via your local carrier statement.