The Oklahoma attorney general’s office has filed a lawsuit against an Arizona telemarketing company, alleging that the firm offered consumers a bogus identity theft protection service.
The lawsuit, filed in Oklahoma County District Court, accuses Consumer Benefits Group Inc. (CBG) of violating the state’s Consumer Protection Act, the Commercial Telephone Solicitation Act and the Oklahoma Telemarketer Restriction Act.
The attorney general’s office filed the suit after receiving complaints from two consumers, Edmondson said.
“Telemarketers for CBG were referring to themselves as ‘head agent’ and ‘inspector,'” Edmondson said. “The caller then informed the consumer that they had been placed on a list of consumers targeted for identity theft or that the consumer’s credit card information had been given to a third party without the consumer’s permission.”
According to the state’s complaint, the telemarketer then offers to provide the consumer with identity theft prevention services for a $299 fee.
In addition to civil penalties and court costs, the attorney general’s office is asking the court to issue a permanent injunction that would bar CBG from conducting future business in Oklahoma. The state is also asking the court to issue a temporary injunction against CBG to prevent the company from doing business while legal action is pending. Each alleged violation potentially carries a $10,000 civil penalty.
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