United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2000-01-31 monographic deposited born digital 18 p. GA 1.13:RCED-00-68 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-00-68 P0b002ee1803a22b3 f:rc00068 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-RCED-00-68 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-00-68 RCED-00-68 Fraud Telecommunication industry Consumer protection Federal/state relations Telephone Commercial law Defective pricing Internet Letter Report RCED Cramming is the inclusion of unauthorized, misleading, or deceptive charges in consumers' telephone bills. Phone companies can cram consumers by adding unauthorized charges for telephone services, such as call messaging. Cramming can also involve third-party vendors who offer products and services that are unrelated to telephone services, such as live or recorded information on the stock market, sports, or products; chat lines and dating services; and Internet Web page design. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that cramming complaints declined during the first nine months of 1999 compared with the same period during the previous year. The situation at the state level, however, was mixed: 22 states and the District of Columbia reported declines in cramming complaints, 15 states reported increases, and 11 reported no changes. The states are continuing their efforts to combat this abuse. For example, by the end of 1998, most states had made information available to consumers on ways to prevent cramming and had established administrative procedures for resolving complaints about telephone billing. The states were also taking additional enforcement actions against crammers. Between 1996 and 1998, 16 states completed 25 enforcement actions against companies and individuals involving in cramming, resulting in more than $3.5 million in restitution and fines. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-00-68/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-00-68.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-00-68/pdf/GAOREPORTS-RCED-00-68.pdf GAO/RCED-00-68 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-00-68 Letter Report GAO/RCED-00-68; Telecommunications: Update on State-Level Cramming; Fraud Telecommunication industry Consumer protection Federal/state relations Telephone Commercial law Defective pricing Internet