Phone Cramming Bill Set for Final Senate Vote

A bill to ban a scam called phone bill cramming, which has already passed the Illinois House, is set for a final vote Thursday in the Illinois Senate. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan says cramming has hit hundreds of thousands of consumers and businesses with bogus charges on their phone bills. Officials say cramming is a scheme by third party vendors who use consumers phone numbers much like a credit card. They add charges to phone bills for bogus products or services that consumers or businesses never asked for or wanted and never used, according to a news release. The legislation, co sponsored by Peoria State Senator Dave Koehler would ban all billing by a third party company but for limited, common sense exceptions for legitimate services.