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Ohio To Get $583K After Verizon, Sprint Settle Suits

Ohio is expected to receive almost $583,000 from Sprint and Verizon to settle allegations that the carriers allowed phony charges on their customers' monthly bills. 

Federal regulators say the national settlement over "mobile cramming" means Verizon will pay $90 million, and Sprint will pay $68 million to settle the claims. Regulators say the mobile giants partnered with third-party vendors that sell premium text messaging services, such as horoscopes and sports scores. But consumers who hadn't signed up for the services were billed anyway, typically about $9.99 monthly. Regulators said they launched an investigation after receiving numerous complaints that the carriers had refused to refund the charges. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine says cramming could be to blame if residents' cellphone bills were higher than expected in recent years.

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