Chicago, Illinois – Illinois Senator Martin A. Sandoval (D-12) is an ardent advocate of expanding state laws that crack down on telephone 'cramming' scams, defined as the practice of applying deceptive and unauthorized telephone charges. A new amendment to the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, signed by Governor Pat Quinn, calls for third-party providers to disclose any new charges and terms, and requires an independent party to confirm with customers any new services before they are billed.
Enhanced voice mail and Internet-related services are the most common unauthorized charges.
Senator Sandoval worked for the successful passage of SB 1421 in the Senate. “These are difficult economic times and dishonest telecommunication operators are continuously victimizing thousands of customers and unsuspecting working families. From now on, any provider in violation of the consumer fraud act will face fines of $50,000 per violation. The Attorney General has the power to ask the courts to force the provider to pay consumers back any money they lost,” said Senator Sandoval who represents the 12th Legislative District and the Southwest Side of Chicago, including the suburbs of Cicero, Berwyn and Stickney.
The new legislation supported by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, industry leaders and watchdogs, including the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) passed unanimously by the Illinois General Assembly and is effective immediately. |
