Cuomo: Online directory firm misled thousands of companies

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May 12, 2008 - 4:18PM

Associated Press

Albany, N.Y.

New York officials say a national online directory service will pay $150,000 in penalties and up to $3 million in restitution for defrauding thousands of small businesses and not-for-profits nationwide.

Bright Pages LLC has agreed to end deceptive yellow pages solicitations under a settlement reached with New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

In February, Cuomo's office charged Bright Pages with mailing false and misleading solicitations. They included the familiar "walking fingers" logo and appeared to be from the local Yellow Pages phone directory seeking to verify existing accounts. Instead they were order forms to buy a listing on Bright Pages' online directory.

New York City-based Bright Pages didn't respond to requests for comment Monday.

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