Mexico's top telecom sold international calling cards short on minutes, says Md. AG

An international calling card company that markets mainly to Latino communities agreed to refund Maryland consumers to settle allegations it sold cards short of the advertised number of minutes, state Attorney General Douglas Gansler says.

Telmex USA LLC denied it violated the state's consumer protection act, but agreed to pay $60,000 in restitution that will be used to fund an agency or charity program to benefit affected consumers. Telmex also agreed to pay a $90,000 civil penalty and $45,000 for costs.

Telmex is a subsidiary of Telefonos de Mexico -- the main telecommunications carrier for Mexico. Its international calling cards allow users to call more than 100 major cities in Latin America, South America, Africa, Europe and Asia.