The complaint was brought as part of the recent International
Netforce law enforcement effort, in which the FTC joined eight
state law enforcers in the US and four Canadian agencies in
investigating and bringing 63 actions against a wide range of
internet scams for allegedly sending deceptive unsolicited e-mail
and engaging in web fraud.
According to the FTC, when consumers responded to a spam e-mail
message telling them that they had won the games console, they were
directed to a web page that imitated the authentic Yahoo! site. The
site instructed consumers to download a program that would
supposedly allow them to connect "toll-free" to a web site where
they could enter their name and address to claim their PlayStation.
Consumers who followed the instructions were connected to a
pornographic web site through a premium-rate number.
"This case involves 'bait-and-switch' of the worst kind," said
J. Howard Beales, III, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer
Protection. "The spammers promised a product that's particularly
attractive to kids. They delivered a product that's offensive to
many adults, and totally inappropriate for kids. Consumers were
told it was free, but they were charged minute-by-minute. The FTC
has put a stop to it."
At the request of the FTC, a US District Court has halted the
scheme and frozen the accused corporations' assets pending a
hearing. The agency alleges that the scam has caused millions of
dollars in consumer injury.
