Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- Have you ever opened up your phone bill and noticed charges from companies you’ve never heard of, without any warning? If you answered yes, you’re not alone.
It's called cramming and it's deceptive and misleading. So much so, New York's Attorney General is calling for regulations to put the brakes on this type of fraud.
According to a recent U.S. Senate report, cramming is putting a huge dent in our wallets, costing consumers upwards of $2 billion per year. That's why Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, along with members of a multi-state coalition, is pushing the FCC for new rules and regulations that are stronger than those already proposed.
The coalition wants the FCC to ban all non-telephone, third party charges on landline telephone bills, unless the customer opts to accept them or chooses to pay for them through traditional means, such as with a credit card.
For wireless customers, the coalition advises the FCC to require service providers to obtain consent through a call or a text, before being billed.
To date, the attorney general has received fewer cramming complaints from wireless customers than landline customers.
The FCC will consider how to best turn up the heat on companies that rip off consumers with unauthorized fees.
