A Philadelphia company called PrimeTel Communications has, over the past 13 years, acquired nearly a quarter of all 1-800 numbers in the U.S. and Canada, according to a report by the Associated Press. PrimeTel now controls 1.7 million 1-800 numbers, more than any other company, and, the AP says, many of those numbers redirect to a phone-sex service run by a company with close ties to PrimeTel.According to the AP, the numbers redirect to chat lines operated by National A-1 Advertising, which shares offices, ownership and legal representation with PrimeTel. Among the numbers that now connect to a woman offering “one-on-one talk with a nasty girl” for a fee: 1-800-Chicago, 1-800-Metallica, 1-800-Cadillac, 1-800-Minolta, 1-800-Beatles, 1-800-Cameras, 1-800-Worship and 1-800-Whirlpool. PrimeTel appears to have grabbed numbers with famous names, or canceled numbers that have been advertised widely.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=112364