Seems like some of the carriers were less than honest - quelle surprise! From Ars Technica:
FCC: Carrier pocketed $10M in bogus cell phone subsidies
The Federal Communications Commission is planning to collect a $51.1 million fine from a phone company accused of using “widespread enrollment fraud” to collect improper payments from a program designed to help poor people.
Since 2014, Total Call Mobile (TCM) has requested and received $9.7 million in payments by signing up tens of thousands of duplicate or ineligible consumers “despite repeated and explicit warnings from its own employees, in some cases compliance specialists, that company sales agents were engaged in widespread enrollment fraud,” the FCC said in an announcement yesterday (PDF file).
Some of the FCC people have the right idea:
FCC Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Ajit Pai argued that the FCC should have proposed a larger fine. “Given the egregious nature of the alleged conduct, I believe a more significant forfeiture would have been appropriate,” Clyburn wrote in a statement. Clyburn approved the FCC's decision in part and concurred in part.
Exactly right - punch back twice as hard. No more Nudge Nudge Wink Wink and a slap on the wrist. Make it hurt and make it hurt hard. The more times this is done, the fewer crimes like this will happen.
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