Last week we described how local consumers have been receiving questionable bills from a Dallas company with New Hampshire connections.

The bills claim that customers called a Web site in the United Kingdom, but customers claim they have never visited such a site, did not make calls to the U.K., and that no one was even home when the alleged calls were made.

Charlotte Innis of Skowhegan reported: “I got a bill from a company called National One Telecom in Dallas, Texas, for a service I never heard of. When I tried to call them, I found that they have no phone number.” All they have is a Web site where consumers can send complaints and must wait for a response until the company replies.

“The company says they are a collection agency for [United Security Bancshares Inc.] and claim I made a call to an adult Web site in the United Kingdom through my computer modem. That’s strange because I don’t even have a Web cam. Besides, my Web connection isn’t even through my phone line! I use the cable company, and the account isn’t even in my name. Finally, I wasn’t even at home on the day they say I made the call.

“I checked with the phone company,” Innis continued. “They said I wasn’t on the phone at that time. They also said most phone services do not allow third party billing. They told me to contact the [Federal Trade Commission], Attorney General’s Office and credit bureaus.

“When I sent National One Telecom an e-mail stating I had contacted FTC and the Attorney General, I promptly received an e-mail saying they made a mistake. Yeah sure! On their Web site they say they almost never make mistakes.

“Finally,” continued Innis, “I think they got my name out of the phone book because it is misspelled in the phone book and on Telecom’s bills, but correct on my actual phone bills.”

Before Forum tars and feathers National One Telecom, we must observe that personal computers all over the world are being hit by a new breed of software known as a “dialer” that secretly and without permission can use your modem to dial long-distance numbers. This scam – known as modem hijacking, dialer hijacking or Internet dumping – has become widespread. It is possible, therefore, that National One Telecom is itself a victim of a hijacking scheme.

The Better Business Bureau reported, “National One Telecom has been responsive to any complaints brought to its attention by the Bureau, but our files show this company has been the subject of a pattern of complaints regarding billing issues.” In other words, if someone complains, Telecom drops demands for payment. But what about consumers who didn’t make the calls and pay without complaining?

Another report said: “The Better Business Bureau has requested basic information from this company and has not received a response. Without this information, the Bureau may not have current information concerning such things as the company’s management or its nature of business.”

What then of National One Telecom – beast or beauty?

Forum can only say: If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, and if you receive a questionable bill from the duck, write it a letter stating, “I dispute your bill, I did not make the calls for which I am being charged, and I demand that you cease demands for payment or I will contact the FTC, the Maine attorney general and Maine’s consumer organization, COMBAT, requesting their intervention.” That should do it.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast COMBAT-Maine Center for the Public Interest, Maine’s membership-funded, nonprofit consumer organization. Individual membership $25, business rates start at $125 (0-10 employees). For help and information write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329