Beware cellphone fraud! Amazing what a bit of publicity can do isn't it?

Paul Babstock receiving relentless phone calls from two collection agencies to pay $7,000 cellphone bill he says he never racked up.

Rogers which owns Fido, maintains Babstock's PO box address was valid even though he didn't own it.

Fido Customer Says He Was Wrongly Hounded For $7,000 Bill
March 24, 2009

CBC News

A Burnaby, British Columbia man who was slapped with a $7,000 Fido cellphone bill mistakenly racked up in his name says he has been trying for a year to clear it.

Since February 2008, Paul Babstock and his wife, Diana Costanzino, have been dogged with numerous phone calls, sometimes up to 12 a day, from two collection agencies seeking the amount.

The couple contend it's impossible Babstock could have racked up the hefty sum.

"At the time, I had never owned a cellphone," Babstock said.

The bill was registered in Babstock's name; however, the billing address — which was a PO box — was not.

"The ownership of the mailbox has a number of other names," Babstock said. "Not my name."

Babstock believes a criminal fraudulently used his identity to obtain a phone. He called the fraud department at Rogers Communications Inc. — which owns Fido — countless times. Babstock was even armed with a police report, but he never got far erasing the charges.

"Rogers was never interested in catching that guy. Rogers was interested in getting their money, and as far as they are concerned, it was easier to get it from me."

The fraud department in Toronto told Babstock that some payments had been made to the account and that the PO box was a valid address.

Babstock alleges the company also refused to send him the outstanding bill and the service contract, stating those had been mailed to the PO box — to which he has no access.

CBC's Go Public contacted Rogers, but the company refused a request for an interview.

Babstock said that when Rogers finally sent him a fraud report form, he was warned he could be the one charged with fraud if he filled it out and submitted it.

Cellphone Fraud Said To Be Common

Cellphone fraud is extremely common, according to a representative from the Better Business Bureau.

"The cellular telephone market has been very frustrating for the consumer on the street," Lynda Pasacreta said.

Costanzino added, "In this situation, we are guilty until proven innocent."

After Go Public started investigating Babstock's case, Rogers said they would cancel the charges and would no longer use the collection agency to hound the couple.