AG SUES ID THEFT PROTECTION CO.:

The Oklahoma attorney general’s office filed a lawsuit against an Arizona telemarketing company after the company allegedly offered Oklahoma consumers a bogus identity theft protection service, Attorney General Drew Edmondson said. The lawsuit, filed in Oklahoma County District Court, accuses Consumer Benefits Group Inc. (CBG) of violating the Oklahoma Consumer Protection Act, the Commercial Telephone Solicitation Act and the Oklahoma Telemarketer Restriction Act. The attorney general’s office filed the suit after receiving complaints from two consumers. “Telemarketers for CBG were referring to themselves as ‘head agent’ and ‘inspector,'” Edmondson said. “The caller then informed the consumer that they had been placed on a list of consumers targeted for identity theft or that the consumer’s credit card information had been given to a third party without the consumer’s permission.” According to the state’s complaint, the telemarketer then offered to provide the consumer with identity theft prevention services for a $299 fee. In addition to civil penalties and court costs, the attorney general’s office is asking the court to issue a permanent injunction barring CBG from conducting future business in Oklahoma. The state also asked the court to issue a temporary injunction against CBG to prevent the company from doing business while legal action is pending. Each alleged violation potentially carries a $10,000 civil penalty.

Topics Lawsuits Fraud Oklahoma Colorado