Be wary of free ringtone rackets

PORTLAND, Ore. - Why pay for a special ringtone on your cell phone when you can get one for free? It's a tempting offer, but before you take the bait you might want think about how much that 'free' offer will end up costing you.

Cell phone ringtones typically sell for anywhere from $1.99 to $2.50 each.

Companies that sell ringtones will make more than $500 million this year, but now ads are popping up offering them for free and the people behind them are raking in millions too.

Jenny Dougherty saw an ad in a magazine for a free ringtone, so she texted in the four-digit number that identifies her phone number.

Nothing happened and then she started getting hit with junk text messages. Even worse, she got charged for every message, even though most were deleted without being opened.

Dougherty ended up with more than $100 worth of bogus charges, many from somewhere outside the country. She said her phone company told her it's becoming a common scam.

"The phone company actually told me that I have to pay the bill and if I want any of the charges reversed, I have to try to contact these companies myself," she said.

However, when she tried to call to get the situation cleared up, half of the numbers she rang were disconnected.

Dougherty's cell phone number was sold to third parties who get their money from the phone company. To avoid future charges, she had to order a block for every phone number that texted her cell phone.

Some free ringtone offers have fine print that automatically signs you up for memberships that add $20 a month to your bill, so before you download, remember there is usually a catch.