The Federal Trade Commission has mailed 3,133 refund checks -- including 154 in Florida -- to small businesses, doctors' offices, retirement homes, religious schools and charitable organizations that were charged for unwanted listings in an online "yellow pages" directory.
Victims in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Lake Worth, Palm Beach, Wellington, Highland Beach, Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Plantation were among the 154 getting refunds in Florida, according to the FTC.
Nationwide, the checks totaled more than $87,000. There is no statewide or metro region breakdown of refunds available, an FTC spokesman said.
An Oklahoma City-based operation calling itself Your Yellow Book faxed documents that resembled invoices with the well-known "walking fingers" image to consumers asking them to "verify" or "update" listing information, according to the lawsuit.