Complaint Review: Governor of New Jersey and Alyon Technologies - Trenton New Jersey

Electronic Correspondence to

Governor James E. McGreevey

Email Topic: Alyon Technologies, Inc.

I received a bill from Alyon Technologies for alleged access to 'adult content' internet material. No adult accessed their website. The company uses a Trojan horse Virus to install and infect the computer. This self installing program disconnects your computer from it's Internet Provider then dials to an International Number. This information is based on what knowledge I have gained by researching the company. Alyon is also shifting location information confusing consumers who are being charged for this fraudulent business. It appears the dialer first dials to a New Jersey number then is connected to an International number.

Stephane Touboul's Dial up # (the victim's computer is forced to connect to) is 201-553-4711, a Union City, NJ phone number. This is why I am contacting you.

This is the same scheme that was used in another case that the Federal Trade Commission took action against.(http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/11/integretel.htm)

FTC Case Background

In late September of 2000, the FTC's Consumer Response Center began receiving numerous complaints about bills received for Internet videotext services. Based on these complaints, the Commission opened an investigation that led to charges being filed in early October 2000 against Verity International, Ltd. (VIL) and its principals, as well as the Integretel defendants for their involvement in an alleged illegal multinational Internet billing scheme.

The FTC's rapid-response investigation revealed that "dialer" software downloaded from teaser adult Web sites was causing charges to be billed to consumers' phone numbers. Many of the consumers who contacted the FTC had no idea why they were receiving the bills, as they had not authorized the charges. Others discovered that a minor in their household - without permission - had accessed the teaser sites and downloaded the dialing software. According to the complaint, the dialer program allowed Internet users to access the adult content without any means of verifying that the user was the telephone line subscriber or was authorized in any way to incur charges on the line subscriber's bill.

Once the dialer software was downloaded, it disconnected the consumer's modem from its usual Internet service provider, dialed an international phone number to Madagascar and reconnected the modem to the Internet from some overseas location. The line subscribers then began incurring charges on their phone lines for the remote Internet connection at the rate of $3.99 per minute.

In its complaint, the FTC alleged that although VIL's bills, which were mailed by the Integretel defendants, deceptively represented that the calls reconnecting consumers modems to the Internet terminated in Madagascar, in fact they were "short-stopped" in London or some other location. Thus, line subscribers were charged the rates to Madagascar at $3.99 per minute, compared to about $.08 per minute to London.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Mitchell J. Katz

Office of Public Affairs

202-326-2161

STAFF CONTACTS:

Lawrence Hodapp

Bureau of Consumer Protection

202-326-3105

(FTC File No. X010001)

(http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/11/integretel.htm)

Related Documents:

FTC v. Verity International, LTD., et al., (Southern District of New York)

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I encourage all persons receiving charges from Alyon Technologies to contact the Federal Trade Commission at http://www.ftc.gov

PRIVATE

PRIVATE, New York
U.S.A.