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"LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Legal Newsline) - Approximately 200,000 Arkansas consumers who were subject to allegedly unauthorized text messaging charges are eligible for restitution as part of an $80 million nationwide settlement with AT&T Mobility LLC, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel announced on Wednesday.<br /><br />Several states and federal regulators entered into an agreement with AT&T to resolve allegations that the mobile telephone provider placed unauthorized charges on consumers' bills, a practice known as \"mobile cramming.\"<br /><br />Consumers allegedly victimized by this practice say that, despite having never requested premium text messaging services, they were typically charged $9.99 per month for sports scores, trivia or horoscopes.<br /><br /> The settlement prevents AT&T from participating in premium text messaging. AT&T must also take steps to ensure that it only bills consumers for authorized third-party charges.<br /><br />&ldquo;This settlement is a victory for the Arkansas consumers who have unwittingly paid higher cell-phone bills due to this practice,&rdquo; McDaniel said. &ldquo;We have worked with phone companies for many months in an effort to stop &lsquo;cramming&rsquo; and protect consumers, and this is a good first step in making sure mobile carriers put a stop to these unauthorized charges.&rdquo;<br />"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://legalnewsline.com/stories/510627831-at-t-reaches-80m-settlement-over-cramming>