The U.S. Department of Justice settled Federal Trade Commission charges last week against several Utah-based defendants alleged to have deceived 25,000 consumers trying to cast votes for their favorite American Idol.
The FTC said that the defendants took advantage of callers who misdialed the American Idol phone numbers during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. The defendants bought phone numbers that were very close to the American Idol phone numbers that routed callers to the defendants’ own toll-free lines. A recorded message urged the called to call a 900 number to reach “voting lines” or “favorite contestants.” They had to pay a fee of $1.99 to $2.97 and were told to hang up to call the correct number to cast a vote, the FTC said.
The defendants are barred from engaging in similar conduct, are prohibited from violating the FTC’s Pay-Per-Call Rule and will pay a civil penalty of $40,000, the FTC said.
The FTC filed the complaint and order against: Telemarketing, Inc., a Utah corporation, also doing business as Univoxx; Apex Investments, LLC, a Utah corporation, d.b.a Operator Directory Service and Northwestern Atlantic; Universal Innovations, LLC, a Utah corporation; Thomas Gregory Parrish, individually and as an officer of Telemarketing, Inc.; Sean K. Angeletti, individually and as an officer of Telemarketing, Inc.; and John P. Starrs, individually.
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