AT&T Sued For Allegedly Inflating DirecTV Now Subscriber Numbers

A lawsuit seeking class action status says AT&T is inflating AT&T TV Now — previously known as DirecTV Now — subscriber numbers by creating fake users. From a report: It’s accusing the company’s management of carrying out the scheme in an effort to make the service look good in the eyes of investors even though it was struggling with serious technical and financial problems. The management did so, according to the lawsuit, by encouraging employees to add DirecTV Now subscription fees to subscribers’ accounts without their knowledge or consent. One of the methods employees allegedly used is tacking on up to three accounts to a single customer’s phone number — including those who just signed up for a free trial — and running their credit card three times. In some cases, customers were reportedly charged for a subscription even though they made it clear that they didn’t want it. Sales employees allegedly made and used fake email accounts in both instances.