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Toronto Star
Bell
Faces Lawsuit Over Mystery Calls
July 23, 2004 --
A woman whose computer modem was hijacked and redirected to
foreign countries has filed a class-action lawsuit against
Bell Canada, alleging the telephone giant profited from the
fraudulent long-distance charges that resulted.
Modem
hijacking is known as "internet dumping" and only
affects computer users with dial-up connections. It
happens when pop-up windows or web sites secretly upload a
program to a person's computer and instructs the modem to
dial a number to which expensive long-distance charges apply.
The
problem has existed in Canada for years, but only recently
have Bell and other telephone companies said they will prevent
these unauthorized charges by automatically blocking long-distance
calls to suspect locations such as Sao Tome, the Cook Islands
and Tuvalu.
A statement of
claim filed by Edith Carriere of Monetville, ON alleges that
Bell knew or should have known since Jan 1, 2002, that calls
to these locations were associated with internet scams
"Bell
Canada, as the largest telecommunication company in Canada,
was uniquely positioned to monitor, become aware of, investigate
and take proactive steps to prevent such fraudulent schemes,"
the claim states.
Carriere
was hit with more than $1,000 in long distance charges and
says Bell, which reduced the amount, threatened to cut off
her phone if she did not pay. Bell declined to comment.
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