Miss Cleo Draws The Death Card
http://entertainment.yahoo.com/entnews/psn/20021115/103735858700.html

Fri Nov 15, 3:09 AM ET

WASHINGTON - The future was bleak yesterday for the largest "psychic"

hot-line operation in the United States, which agreed to unplug its phones and pay $5 million to settle charges that it misled customers.

The two companies behind psychic Miss Cleo also agreed to forgive an estimated $500 million in uncollected bills, and send back uncashed checks to customers who were charged an average of $60 for the supposedly free calls, the Federal Trade Commission said.

Miss Cleo's television appeals faded from the airwaves shortly after the FTC filed fraud and unfair telemarketing charges in February against her two Florida backers, Access Resource Services and Psychic Readers Network.

In a series of widely broadcast infomercials, Miss Cleo promised free insight on careers, love prospects and other personal matters through psychic readings or Tarot cards.

But callers who dialed the toll-free number to speak to Miss Cleo were given another number to speak to a psychic. Only if they stayed on that first line would they be told that the first three minutes at the new number would be free, after which they would be charged $4.99 per minute, the FTC alleged.

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