South Dakota Consumers Receive Restitution Checks 

(Pierre) – Over 850 South Dakota consumers can expect to receive a check from the state soon. The Attorney General’s Office has begun distributing over $100,000 in restitution received from a lawsuit with DirectONE, a California phone company. 

The state reached an agreement with DirectONE in August after suing the company. The state alleged that DirectONE was defrauding South Dakota consumers by billing their credit cards without authorization. 

In addition to the $100,000 in restitution, DirectONE has agreed to pay the state $40,000 to cover investigative and litigation costs. The company also provided the state with a list of all South Dakota consumers they billed. 

“This list allowed us to contact those victimized by the company. Those that responded should receive a check in the mail soon,” said Chief Deputy Attorney General Larry Long. “Each consumer will receive a check for the amount they were unlawfully charged.” 

The DirectONE investigation was part of a nationwide effort targeting cyberscams. The South Dakota Attorney General’s Office joined with the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Service, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, nine other Attorneys General, and 20 law enforcement agencies to bring 19 civil and criminal actions against scammers based in the Midwest. 

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