Cox Issues Cease and Desist Order Against Albany Company; Firm Was Illegally
Charging “Donations” To Credit Cards in 11 States

ATLANTA …Secretary of State Cathy Cox today announced that a cease and desist order has been issued for an Albany-based company illegally charging “charitable” donations to credit cards without the cardholder’s knowledge or approval.

Frankly Speaking, a company with offices located at 422 West Oglethorpe in Albany, is not a registered charity or charitable solicitor in Georgia and has been the subject of numerous complaints from citizens across the country.  Consumers indicated that the firm was charging donations to credit cards without their consent.

Donor prospects were contacted by an automated calling system featuring a pre-recorded message which required them to “opt out” of making a donation to a drug prevention program.  Consumer credit cards were automatically charged $9.95 as a donation to Frankly Speaking, even if the call was answered by an answering machine or if the recipient stayed on the line just 15 seconds before hanging up.

Complaints have been filed by residents of Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, Washington, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Arizona and California. In each case the cardholder noticed the charge on their billing statement and called the company asking for an explanation of how their credit card number was obtained and requesting a refund for the unauthorized charge.

"This is a new twist on an old scam perpetrated by those seeking to make a quick buck in the name of charity," Cox said. "Georgians should carefully check their credit card statements each month," she added.

The Secretary of State’s cease and desist order puts an immediate halt to Frankly Speaking’s solicitations.