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Ladies, if you weren’t paying attention you might have missed last months AT&T case, where U.S. District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco approved an $105 million dollar settlement for cramming. $80 million of which AT&T must pay for the purposes of consumer refunds. That’s right refunds!! So, what exactly is cramming? Mobile cramming is the practice of putting unauthorized charges on a bill for services that were either unwanted or never received in the first place. These are charges are cleverly disguised and difficult to detect as fraudulent. I know I could use every extra penny in my purse and it makes me furious when I hear about large corporations taking advantage of people some of whom are scraping together to make ends meet for their household. Turns out I am not alone, Joy Nwabueze and Amelia Terry, are the two women that started the suit back in 2009.

This goes to show that large crimes are often committed with small amounts over a long period of time, sometimes even corporations are held accountable. It also means that ordinary citizens can stand up for what is right and win. So, pay attention to your bills. Read the fine print and make sure you aren’t paying for services you are not receiving or are unauthorized.

If you believe you have been a victim of AT&T cramming fees the FTC suggests:

“Consumers who believe they were charged by AT&T without their authorization can visitwww.ftc.gov/att to submit a refund claim and find out more about the FTC’s refund program under the settlement. If consumers are unsure about whether they are eligible for a refund, they can visit the claims website or contact the settlement administrator at 1-877-819-9692 for more information.”