CenturyLink CEO Blames Media After Billing Fraud Allegations

CenturyLink is on fire on all sides after numerous lawsuits have accused the ISP on intentionally engaging in fraudulent billing. CenturyLink's problems began after a whistleblower accused the company of signing customers up for services they didn't want and never ordered, in order to help sales agents meet unrealistic sales targets. The employee subsequently said she was fired when she brought the problem up with company leadership on internal employee message boards.

But things have only gotten worse for CenturyLink since those initial revelations, with the ISP now facing a class action and more recently an additional lawsuit from Minnesota's Attorney General, similarly accusing the company of fraudulent billing -- and jacking up the cost of its services post sale.

In an e-mail sent to employees obtained by DSLReports.com, CenturyLink CEO Glen Post downplayed the company's mounting problems, which have been exasperated by a steady decline in broadband subscribers.

"These claims were accompanied by what seems to be a pretty coordinated negative media and PR campaign aimed at CenturyLink and a rush of securities litigation as well," Post said in the e-mail. The CEO also took time to complain about the Minnesota's claim that CenturyLink had been "uncooperative" during the state's investigation, "as we have been fully cooperating with the AG’s office since its inquiry began and have provided all information that has been requested," Post claimed.

That said, the CEO added that allegations that the company defrauds its customers "go against everything we stand for as a company."

"We take these allegations very seriously and are diligently investigating them," he said. "In addition to committing significant internal resources, our board of directors has hired the law firm O’Melveny & Myers to conduct an independent review of these issues. This decision was made immediately after learning of our former employee’s claim and is one that I completely support. Whatever we find in our review of these matters, we will do what we always aspire to do: we will be fair and do the right thing."

Except CenturyLink's track record on that front is a mixed bag. A lack of competition in many CenturyLink markets has allowed the company to impose extremely unpopular usage caps and overage fees . The company has also long been under fire for imposing a misleading " Internet Cost Recovery Fee " on to subscriber bills. In addition to the well-documented claims of billing fraud, none of this gives the impression of a company that particularly much cares what its subscribers think, "fair" or otherwise.