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Illinois Sues California Company
The state of Illinois is suing a California company for adding charges to Illinois customers' phone bills.

The defendant, ID Lifeguards of Glendale, Calif., and its owner, deceived consumers into unknowingly purchasing identity theft protection, adding $12.95 a month to their phone bills, according to the suit filed Thursday in Sangamon County by the attorney general.

The scam allegedly worked by unknowingly redirecting people who were on websites purchasing something they wanted to buy. Once the customers were switched to the defendant's website, they filled out personal information, including their phone number, unwittingly authorizing the charge.

Robyn Ziegler, spokesman for the attorney general, says the duped customers didn't even get the ID theft protection. "They're absolutely not getting that service. They didn't sign up for it, and it's not being provided to them. ID Lifeguard is billing these people for a service they are not providing."

The scam has been going on for at least a year, according to the suit, affecting more than 5,000 Illinois consumers to the tune of $157,000.

Ziegler advises consumers to examine the "miscellaneous charges" on their phone bills to make sure everything listed there is something they ordered.

(Illinois Radio Network)
09 03 10 by Newsroom
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