DIRECT BENEFITS ONLINE I was a victim of a company called Direct Benefits Online. I have never heard of this company and have no knowledge why they charged my bank account $49.00 plus an overdraft fee in the amount of $35. Cheyenne, Wyoming

If everyone is active with some of these suggestions then regulators may be able to handle some of the worst abuses!

Contact Your United States Senators

Every state has two United States Senators. Senators are elected on a state wide basis and represent your entire state in Washington D.C.. Your United States Senators have enormous power and enormous influence. A simple letter or phone call from a U.S. Senator's office can move mountains. Every United States Senator has an office that deals with constituent complaints involving a number of issues -- every problem imaginable are handled by your United States Senators' office. Plus, they want to get re-elected and they serve their voters not the business.

http://www.senate.gov/

Contact Your United States Congressman/woman

Unlike Senators, your state has anywhere from one to over 50 United States Congressmen/women. In your congressional district, you have ONE United States Congressman/woman. Like Senators, members of Congress deal with a huge amount of voter problems -- you name the topic, and they can and will help you.

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Contact The United States Department of Justice

The Department of Justice is the federal government's chief law enforcement agency and prosecutorial office.

http://www.justice.gov/

And my favorite:

Contact The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

It is the only federal agency with both consumer protection and competition jurisdiction in broad sectors of the economy. The FTC pursues vigorous and effective law enforcement; advances consumers interests...

This is the agency that companies fear.

http://www.ftc.gov/reports/index.shtm

Contact The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

This agency regulate all companies that are trading stock publicly. They also are very concerned with companies who engage in fraudulent activity which might manipulate their stock price and give investors a false picture of the truth of a company's heath.

http://www.sec.gov/complaint.shtml

Contact The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

Report the offending company to this feared and effective government task force. Your aim here is to highlight the criminal and fraudulent nature of the companies activities. You must be able to detail how they wronged you and stole your money.

http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx

Contact The Council of the Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau is another group that many businesses need to answer to -- first it has enormous influence and second, many businesses are members. Since it is paid for by businesses it may not be as effective as the government agencies that are created to protect you.

http://www.bbb.org/

Contact The National Consumer Law Center

"The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) is the nations consumer law expert, helping consumers, their advocates, and public policy makers use powerful and complex consumer laws on behalf of low-income and vulnerable Americans seeking economic justice.

Todays consumer marketplace is complex and full of potholes, even for those of us with all the necessary skills and advantages. For unsuspecting low-income consumers its far more treacherous - even the smallest misstep can lead to financial ruin and a sense of hopelessness that paralyzes individual progress."

http://www.nclc.org/

Contact The National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C)

They will help you with filing a complaint against the company showing you how to do it and provide other resources. White collar crime is a term coined for something that many businesses engage: it is fraud and outright theft committed by those wearing a white shirt and tie to work everyday.

http://www.nw3c.org/overview/what_we_do.cfm

I too was a victim of Direct Benefits Online. I have been trying for over two months to get through to their customer service department but my call always get disconnected right after the auto system. And if I want to issue a stop pay, my charge will get charged. I've never order their service & hoping someone will take them out of business & hopefully prosecute their company.