LEWISTON – A California-based phone scam that bilks people out of hundreds of dollars with the promise of a shopping spree has made its way to Maine.
Star Communications, a telemarketing company that also goes by the names Consumer Rewards Network, Mega Movie Club, Health Network and Net Forever, has called local residents asking for their bank account numbers.
Callers offer a $500 shopping spree in exchange for a shipping and handling fee of $4.95. They ask for a checking account number to pay the charge, but then withdraw hundreds of dollars, in some cases.
The Consumer Protection Division of the Maine Attorney General’s Office confirmed that it has received complaints about Star Communications, although they were unable to say how many complaints or what the nature of the complaints were.
However, the California Better Business Bureau said it has received 780 complaints, some of which are classified as “very serious.” The company has an “F” rating, which is the BBB’s lowest score, according to a spokesperson.
All of the disputes alleged that the customers were unable to cancel their membership before money was deducted from their accounts. They were told only $4.95 would be taken out of their accounts, but in reality hundreds of dollars were deducted. In most cases they never received the coupons for the $500 shopping spree, and when they asked for a refund from the company, in some cases they did not receive it, according to the Better Business Bureau Web site, www.labbb.org.
The attorneys general in North Dakota and North Carolina also have filed complaints against Star Communications. Both have issued legal orders prohibiting it from operating in their states.
Comments are no longer available on this story