'Yellow Pages' Scams Halted, FTC Says

The FTC “halted two Canada-based schemes that defrauded small businesses and nonprofits” in the U.S. by billing them for “unwanted listings in online ‘yellow pages’ business directories,” said a commission news release Thursday. Commissioners unanimously voted in favor of a proposed stipulated order for permanent injunction and monetary judgment against Oni Nathifa Julien and several of her companies, which contacted organizations “under the guise of confirming contact information in a directory” and then billing the organization $479.95 or more. If the invoice was disputed, the defendants would use deceptive collection tactics such as “playing altered or incomplete audio recordings to give the false impression that an employee of the organization had authorized a directory listing,” the FTC said. Julien is prohibited from misrepresenting any good or service and from collecting money from past customers or profiting from or keeping their personal information. The $3 million judgment against Julien was suspended due to her inability to pay. Julien could not be reached for comment. The commission also unanimously voted in favor of authorizing staff to file a complaint against American Yellow Browser; American Yellow Group; Distribution H.E.P., also doing business as American Yellow Distribution and Medical Yellow Directories; Official Yellow Guide; Publication A.A.P., also d/b/a All American Pages and Official Yellow Guide; Publication A.Y.B., also d/b/a American Yellow Browser, American Yellow Group and All American Pages; Publications A.Y.D.; Ivan Chernev, also d/b/a American Yellow Corp., General Credit Protection and Credit Bureau Recovery; and German Lebedev, also d/b/a American Yellow Directories, for sending unsolicited invoices for $480.95 or more for a one-year directory listing. The invoice named someone from the targeted organization and showed the listing as it was to appear in a directory, and suggested someone had previously agreed to buy the listing, the FTC said. “Those who ignored the invoices received more of them with statements such as ‘COLLECTION WARNING’ and ‘LAST CHANCE TO PROTECT YOUR CREDIT SCORE IN GOOD STANDING!!!’” and were asked to pay larger amounts such as $2,385.95. Those who refused to pay were sent dunning notices from the defendants, who posed as third-party debt collector General Credit Protection.