84.  FTC v. Benoit (aka One or More Unknown Parties), Civil Action No. 3:99 CV 181 (W.D.N.C. filed May 11, 1999)

Defendant(s): Andrew Wells Benoit, Susan Carroll, WorldNet, Inc.

Type:  Misleading Email & Long Distance Calls Outside the U.S.

Defendants allegedly sent consumers a deceptive e-mail message in order to get them to place expensive overseas calls. According to the FTC, the defendants sent consumers an e-mail informing them that their "order" had been received and processed and that their credit card would be billed $250 to $899. The e-mail advised consumers that if they had questions about their "order," they should call a telephone number in the 767 area code. Consumers didn't know the area code was in a foreign country, Dominica, West Indies, and rather than reaching a customer "representative," consumers were connected to an audiotext entertainment service with sexual content. Consumers incurred expensive telephone charges for this unhelpful international, long-distance call.

In its first ever "John Doe" complaint, the FTC charged the defendants with violating Section 5 of the FTC Act. On May 11, 1999, the Commission sought and obtained an asset freeze from the Court, thereby stopping any flow of money to the defendants through the telephone payment system.