Featured link: What To Do About Phone Cramming: Call the Shots (Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/10/1998)

To complicate matters further, such charges are often routed through an independent billing company that transmits billing information to the appropriate local phone company. Until recently, phone companies had blindly accepted these charges, but finally, at least one has responded to this issue (see article list).

Consumers can reduce the probability of these spurious charges by being added to the blocking database of each of the companies listed in the table below.

The best way to get added to the blocking database is to use the fax number listed. You should fax a signed request to add your phone number to their blocking database. If an auto-block number is listed, you can initiate blocking by calling from the phone to be blocked 24 hours a day.

You can also call the toll-free voice numbers during the hours indicated, but this increases the chance that the wrong phone number will be entered into the database, and you're likely to find yourself spending a long time getting through to a live customer service rep.

Last, but not least, talk to your local phone company about being added to the billed number screening as well as 900/976 blocking. And while you're at it, don't forget to ask for a PIC freeze to prevent your long distance service from being switched to a different phone company.

Here are links to some media articles on this issue:

• FTC Highlights Efforts to Combat Telephone "Cramming" (FTC, 7/23/1998)
• Cramming... What Can You Do (Nevada Attorney General, 6/30/1998)
• What To Do About Phone Cramming: Call the Shots (Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/10/1998)
• Bell Atlantic Delivers Ultimatum to Crammers (Bell Atlantic, 5/6/1998)
• Cramming (KATV, 5/5/1998)
• SBC Strengthens Anti-Cramming Measures (SBC Communications, 5/4/1998)
• Cramming: Mystery Phone Charges (FTC, 4/1998)
• Missouri AG Launches Offensive (Kansas City InfoZine, 4/1998)
• Guard Against Telephone Cramming (Coast to Coast, 4/1998)
• FTC Action Highlights 800/900 Number Billing Fraud (FTC, 4/22/1998)
• Cramming is Latest Scheme to Get Phone Users' Money (Capital News Service, 3/27/1998)
• Cramming Can Add to Phone Bills (Baltimore County Department of Aging, 3/27/1998)
• Crammers Sued (National Fraud Information Center, 3/25/1998)
• Phone Cramming (3 On Your Side, 3/24/1998)
• Telephone Fraud Alert: Cramming (Iowa Attorney General, 2/25/1998)
• Watch Telephone Bills for Cramming (Florida PSC, 2/4/1998)
• AG Warns About Phone Bill Cramming (New Mexico Attorney General, 2/1998)
• Consumers Warned of New Scam (St. Tammany (LA) News Banner, 1/30/1998)
• Your phone bill may be crammed with unexpected charges (Maryland Attorney General, 1/29/1998)
• Don't be "crammed" (National Fraud Information Center, 1/28/1998)
• Readers detail their woes with fraudulent calls (Seattle Times, 1/28/1998)
• Phony charges crammed onto monthly tab (Detroit Free Press, 1/26/1998)
• What Cramming Means (Detroit Free Press, 1/26/1998)
• Phone Cramming Warning Issued (San Diego Daily Transcript, 1/21/1998)
• BBB Warns Consumers of Phone Cramming (BBB, 1/1998)
• Telephone Cramming (WKBW, 12/23/1997)
• Cramming (Pennsylvania Attorney General, 12/18/1997)
• Watch Phone Bills for Cramming (National Consumers Legaue, 11/20/1997)

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Updated September 14, 1998