Judge orders Inc21.com to pay $38 million to consumers it defrauded

A U.S. District Court judge has ordered a San Francisco telecommunications company to pay almost $38 million in restitution to consumers the company charged for services they didn't order.

Judge William Alsup barred Inc21.com Corp. and its sister businesses from telemarketing unless they first get approval from the court and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The order also blocks the companies from charging consumers' telephone bills, requires third-party companies through which the charges were placed to return money to consumers, and orders Inc21.com to pay restitution.