US Agency Sues 'Miss Cleo' Hot Line
WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal fraud fighters say Miss Cleo's psychic hot line should have seen it coming: a lawsuit accusing the service of rampant deception.
Describing the hot line as "permeated with fraud," the Federal Trade Commission said Thursday it wants to shut down Access Resource Services Inc. and Psychic Readers Network. The two companies in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., are behind the telephone psychic reading service that on television and the Internet promises insights into love and money.
Florida authorities announced a separate lawsuit, challenging the service's spokeswoman, Youree Dell Harris, known as "Miss Cleo," to prove that she really is a renowned shaman from Jamaica.
...The FTC complaint, filed Wednesday in the District Court for the Southern District of Florida, accuses the service of misdeeds including false promises of free psychic readings, tricky billing tactics to squeeze money out of consumers and unrelenting and abusive telemarketing calls.
... Beales said the service promises a free psychic reading, but when consumers call a toll-free number they are directed to a 1-900 number charging $4.99 per minute.
An average call costs more than $60, Beales said, noting that nearly 6 million people have called the service. A telephone bill running into the hundreds of dollars is the first sign for many callers that they are being charged.
Leonard Vickers, 49, of Woodbridge, Va., said that two years ago his 12-year-old daughter, Malaika, saw a commercial for the hot line and, thinking it was free, ran up a $289 bill for a single call. He said that when he called to complain "they said they didn't care that she was a minor."
The agency said the psychic operators make the calls last as long as possible by inaccurately telling callers they will not be charged while on hold.
...The psychic service also allegedly violated telemarketing rules by harassing people and making calls to those who asked to be on a "do not call" list, the FTC said.
Beales said many consumers received up to 10 calls a day, usually automated messages telling them that "Miss Cleo had a dream about them and they should call back."
There's more. You can read the whole thing on the link above. Sheesh...you mean those psychic lines aren't real? That "Miss Cleo" is really just a spokeswoman named "Youree Dell Harris"? No...say it ain't so! *lol* My whole trust of shady infomercials is shattered forever.
~ flowers bloom near Memory and Dream
at 2/15/2002 10:56:33 AM ~
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