Verizon Wireless Premium Text Message Scam Bellevue Washington

Verizon Wireless is billing $9.99 per month for a "Premium Text Message" sent to my son's phone, which is part of a family plan. When I called customer service they said they could block Premium Text from my account, but that the $9.99 would continue to accrue each month regardless. The ONLY way to prevent the charge would be to text-message the third party requesting them to stop. BUT... if I block Premium Text from my account, then that would also PREVENT unsubscribing!

They said if the phone was lost or broken, the ONLY way to unsubscribe would be to purchase another phone, move the account to that phone, then send the unsubscribe text message.

This is ridiculous! If they are billing me on behalf of the third party, they should be able to tell the third party to cease all further activity.

I will speak to my son in the next few days to find out how this charge was added. I have read several on line reports about people getting these charges without ever having signed up. I find it hard to believe that my 24-year-old son would have any interest in signing up for a monthly "psychic reading". That's about the last thing he would care about.

Kendall
Tualatin, Oregon
U.S.A.