CONSUMER INVESTIGATION: Unauthorized charges imposed on Facebook & MySpace users who participate in social networking games like Zynga's Mafia Wars & Farmville

November 2009

EMAIL: Kershaw, Cutter & Ratinoff, LLP

Kershaw, Cutter & Ratinoff is investigating complaints about advertising scams and unauthorized charges imposed on Facebook and MySpace users who participate in social networking games like Mafia Wars and FarmVille, both of which are social media games from social gaming company, Zynga Game Network Inc.

Users of these social games may have been charged without their consent for "special offers" that result in unauthorized bank, credit card, or phone charges, sometimes through the use of phone text messages and auto-recurring SMS subscriptions. Many of these companies and advertisers making "special offers" then make it very difficult — or impossible — for users to get their money refunded.

Read more about this practice in the article "The Secret Shame of Social Networking: How Silicon Valley Got Hooked on Scammers" at Gawker.com.

Among the companies we are investigating are:

  • Zynga
  • RockYou
  • Offerpal Media
  • Super Rewards
  • Tatto Media
  • Double Ding
  • Gambit
  • SendMe Mobile
  • Video Professor
  • Facebook
  • MySpace

Are you a victim of unauthorized charges from games, programs, or advertisements on Facebook, MySpace or social media game apps? Have you been a victim of a social media game scam? We would like to hear from you. Please use our contact form at the left for a free case evaluation.

 
Submit this form for a free case evaluation       

DISCLAIMER: By sending this email information to Kershaw, Cutter & Ratinoff, LLP, an attorney-client relationship is not created between you and Kershaw, Cutter & Ratinoff, LLP, or any other party.  An attorney-client relationship does not exist until a formal “Attorney Retainer/Fee Agreement” has been signed by all parties.

Kershaw, Cutter & Ratinoff LLP respects the confidentiality of the information that you submit, and will not use it in any way that is adverse to your interests, even if we decline to represent you.  However, KCR cannot guarantee confidentiality until an attorney-client relationship has been established.