St. Clair County class action filed against credit score company; Alleges consumers unwittingly signed up for membership program

A class action lawsuit in St. Clair County alleges a credit score company has been signing up unwitting consumers for a membership program.

According to a lawsuit filed on April 24 in St. Clair County Circuit Court, Vickie Forby and other unnamed class members from Illinois filed a class action compliant against One Technologies LP, One Technologies Management LLC and One Technologies Capital LLP.

The plaintiffs' lawsuit stems from the defendants' allegedly "deceptive, unfair and misleading marketing and advertising" when it falsely offered free credit reports to get new customers to enroll in its credit monitoring program, which the plaintiffs alleged they did not want, consent to and agree to pay for. Then the defendants made it "next to impossible to cancel" program membership, the suit states.

The plaintiffs accuse the defendants of an alleged ruse that's lasted from at least 2008 to December 2014.

The Federal Trade Commission and Attorneys General offices in Ohio and Illinois also filed a lawsuit in California in late 2014, after which the defendants agreed to correct their ways and pay $22 million in compensation.

But on Dec. 15, 2014, the named plaintiff's credit card was charged for the program without authorization, in violation of the court order, the lawsuit states.

The plaintiff, alleging counts of violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act and unjust enrichment, seek unspecified damages, plus costs.

The class is represented by David C. Nelson of Nelson and Nelson in Belleville.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 15-L-246