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Telephony Fraudster Gets Lifetime Ban from Telecom Business
coondoggie passed us another NetworkWorld link, this one discussing the banning of a shady telecom tycoon convicted for 'cramming'. "The owner of three companies that billed more than $30 million in bogus collect call charges, an activity known as cramming, to millions of consumers throughout the country, has been banned forever from all billing on local telephone bills. Willoughby Farr agreed to the lifetime ban as part of a federal court order settling Federal Trade Commission charges that he directed a massive unauthorized billing scam for more than two and a half years. The settlement contains a monetary judgment of $34,547,140, which will be partially satisfied by Farr's transfer to the Commission of all but $7,500 of his frozen assets, the FTC said."
The settlement contains a monetary judgment of $34,547,140, which will be partially satisfied by Farr's transfer to the Commission of all but $7,500 of his frozen assets, the FTC said.
He billed about $30M in false charges... and it seems like that money is being used to pay the fine.
Please, someone tell me I am wrong.
So, lets see... If i smoke a joint in some states i go to jail. If i bilk millions of people out of tens of millions of dollars i get.... probation, and a fine.
This is so bs, asswipe(s) should be thrown in jail. Sounds like someone's back got scratched.
Why isn't this money being refunded to the consumer? When I read stories like this, and the ones where the FCC levies fines for unacceptable practices I see the consumers that were affected getting screwed. I may be missing something here, but I AM ANGRY!!
The "Local telephone bill" as an entity probably won't around in another 10 or 20 years.
Either he's turned a new leaf or he's hasn't. If he has, the ban is moot. If he hasn't, he'll find another way to be a crook.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
When someone commits theft on this level, why not kill him? In some states we have "three strikes, you're out" laws, with a lifetime in jail for the third crime. This guy committed literally millions of crimes. To keep things in proportion, he should be killed. That's presuming he's guilty beyond reasonable doubt, of course.
Now, you could say the "three strikes" thing is three convictions, not three crimes. But there's nothing to stop the prosecutors from prosecuting each crime singly. Get to the third conviction, jail him for life; get to the Xth, kill him. Simple. Fair. Proportional.
"with their freedom lost all virtue lose" - Milton
You mean to tell me that there are authorized billing scams ? I get it, that must be my monthly cellphone bill.
The punishment surely does not fit the crime. No jail time? This is absurd, and absurd you would support this obvious miscarriage of justice due to appearant cronyism. The hurt caused by this mans actions far exceed whatever value he had to society. He should get 10 years minimum...
I've read Slashdot for the last 5 years, and now I start posting... Go figure
It's called the Punishment part of our legal system. It helps society because it shows that if you hurt x number of people, you will be hurt back proportionally, not just fined for 2 percent of what you stole. Sentences like this make me want to rip people off as well, because the consequences of getting caught are low, and if caught, the punishment will be nill. Punishment is meant to deter this from happening again, and absense of punishment will just add fuel to the fire. Hope that answered your question.
I've read Slashdot for the last 5 years, and now I start posting... Go figure