Attorney General's News Release

March 28, 2000

Kansas City businesses sent out phony phone bills made to look like bills from Southwestern Bell, Nixon charges

Jefferson City, Mo. — Attorney General Jay Nixon today sued two Kansas City businesses that Nixon said sent out thousands of phony telephone bills designed to look like legitimate bills from Southwestern Bell, down to using a similar type face and size and a blue stripe on the left side of the invoice.

The fake bills, labeled as coming from "Southwest Region Bill" and ranging in amounts from $16 to $27, were sent to consumers in several states, including Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. The invoices billed for telephone services such as "Extensor Systems - Call Manager" and "Invesco Telemail."

Nixon said the defendants, Invesco Telecommunications Inc. and Billing Management Services Inc., had no connection with Southwestern Bell and that the services billed for were not authorized or received by the consumers who filed complaints with the Attorney General's Office. The two defendants share a business address at 8800 Blue Ridge Boulevard, Suite 300, in Kansas City.

"These two defendants knew exactly what they were doing by designing their invoices to look very similar to the bills sent out by Southwestern Bell," Nixon said. "They counted on consumers not looking very closely at the bill and just paying it because they believed it was for legitimate services."

Nixon is asking the Jackson County Circuit Court to enjoin the defendants from further violations of Missouri's consumer protection laws, including using any solicitation for payment that could mislead consumers to believing the bill was from Southwestern Bell or any other company, or representing to consumers that they owed charges for telephone services they did not authorize or receive.

The lawsuit also seeks restitution on behalf of all consumers who lost money as a result of any fraudulent activities by the defendants, as well as penalties and costs found to be proper by the court.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818