March 3, 2005
Alyon Technologies, Inc., has agreed to pay restitution for Connecticut Internet users whom it illegally billed for services they never ordered.
The New Jersey-based company charged Internet users $4.99 a minute without their permission to view certain web sites and, in some cases, charged them for time they were not on line.
According to Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, the company defrauded customers by failing to identify the correct person to bill; billing consumers using telephone numbers that didn't belong to those consumers and downloading the company's billing software onto consumers' computers without their permission.
The agreement settles a lawsuit that Blumenthal filed against Alyon in May 2003 under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act. Blumenthal sued the company after receiving numerous consumer complaints about its billing practices. In some instances, Alyon billed senior citizens who didn't even own computers.
"This settlement puts on-line con artists on notice: Connecticut will not tolerate Internet scams," Blumenthal said. "The technology may have been modern, but the MO was familiar - hoodwink and miss-bill consumers, particularly senior citizens.
"Alyon's actions were appalling: The company deployed deceit and deception to trick consumers - some who owned no computer - into signing up for its services. My office will aggressively pursue Internet fraudsters."
Under the settlement, Alyon will provide approximately $11,000 in restitution to about 50 Connecticut consumers who complained to Blumenthal's office. The restitution includes refunds and cancellation of outstanding bills.
