FCC to fine Sprint $105 million for phone bill cramming

Sprint is facing a fine from the FCC that could run as high as $105 million. The agency is accusing the carrier of cramming, a practice where unauthorized charges are added to a customer's monthly bill. FCC commissioners are expected to soon vote on the fine. Back in October, the FCC demanded a similar amount from AT&T, claiming that the carrier had crammed customers' invoices with unauthorized charges.

In July, the FTC filed cramming charges against T-Mobile in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. According to FCC commissioner Tom Wheeler, 20 million Americans a year are victims of cramming. In November, all four major U.S.mobile operators agreed not to charge customers for third party services.

AT&T's settlement with the FCC back in October called for the mobile operator to return $80 million to customers affected by the cramming, in the form of refunds. $20 million will be paid to the states and the District of Columbia, while a $5 million fine should end up being paid to the feds.

source: Reuters