Crackdown on Pay-Per-Call Services Sought

The Federal Trade Commission was urged to impose tougher disclosure laws on pay-per-call services that lure consumers into placing telephone calls to numbers similar to 900 lines. Twenty-nine state attorneys general, including California’s, urged the FTC to look into the problem after getting numerous complaints, many from people replying to job advertisements. In the ads, readers were encouraged to call an 800 number or another number with a recognizable area code. They were then encouraged by a recording to dial another number for further information. In many of the cases, the number was an 809 number in the Caribbean that charged callers rates similar to 900 phone lines. None of the callers was warned of the charges before the calls were made. The attorneys general want the FTC to require disclosure of charges when advertisements solicit calls to pay-per-call numbers, including international numbers.