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   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:

   March 11, 2015  Neil Grace, 202-418-0506

   E-mail: neil.grace@fcc.gov

      FCC FINES OPTIC INTERNET PROTOCOL $7.6 MILLION FOR ILLEGALLY BILLING
                 CUSTOMERS AND SWITCHING THEIR PHONE COMPANIES

     Long Distance Carrier Relied on Fabricated "Authorization" Recordings

   Washington, D.C. - The Federal Communications Commission has fined Optic
   Internet Protocol, Inc., an Alpharetta, GA telephone company, $7,620,000
   for changing consumers' long distance carriers without their authorization
   ("slamming"), placing unauthorized charges for service on consumers'
   telephone bills ("cramming"), and submitting fabricated audio recordings
   as "proof" that consumers had authorized the company to switch their
   carriers.

   "Consumers should be able to count on companies not to load their phone
   bills with phony charges" said Travis LeBlanc, Chief of the Enforcement
   Bureau. "The FCC will enforce the law to the fullest extent possible to
   stop companies from taking advantage of consumers by switching their
   telephone carriers and placing charges on their telephone bills without
   authorization."

   The Enforcement Bureau reviewed more than 150 complaints against Optic
   that consumers filed with the Commission, the Federal Trade Commission,
   state regulatory agencies, and the Better Business Bureau. Consumers
   complained that Optic switched their long distance service provider
   without their authorization, and that they had never heard of or spoken to
   the company before discovering charges on their telephone bills. Consumers
   also complained that the company told them that they or someone in their
   household had authorized the service, when in fact no one had done so. It
   appears Optic fabricated audio recordings to "prove" that consumers
   authorized changes in their services, played these bogus recordings for
   consumers and produced them for law enforcement; the recordings, however,
   did not in any way relate to the consumers at issue.

   With today's action, the Commission has now taken nearly 30 enforcement
   actions for cramming or slamming in the past five years. These actions
   have announced more than $90 million in penalties, and are slated to
   return more than $200 million to consumers.

   For more information about the FCC's rules protecting consumers from
   unauthorized charges on phone bills, see the FCC consumer guide, Cramming
   - Unauthorized, Misleading, or Deceptive Charges Placed on Your Telephone
   Bill. For information about other communications issues, visit the FCC's
   Consumer website, or contact the FCC's Consumer Center by calling
   1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322)
   TTY; faxing 1-866-418-0232; or by writing to:

                       Federal Communications Commission

                    Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau

                   Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division

                              445 12th Street, SW

                              Washington, DC 20554

   The Forfeiture Order is available at:
   [1]https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-15-27A1.pdf

   The Notice of Apparent Liability is available at:
   [2]https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-14-101A1.pdf

                                     -FCC-





   NEWS

   Federal Communications Commission

   445 12th Street, S.W.

   Washington, D.C. 20554

   This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the
   full text of a Commission order constitutes official action.

   See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974).

                                        News Media Information 202 / 418-0500

                                                 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov

References

   Visible links
   1. https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-15-27A1.pdf
   2. https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-14-101A1.pdf