Jerry Brown: DirectTV Owes $13 Million for Scamming Viewers

In a scam-hunting turnaround, Governor-Elect Jerry Brown has managed to make the satellite TV company pay an exhorbitant fee.

DirectTV must pay California $13 million, thanks to Brown's settlement with the company in his capacity as Attorney General.

According to Brown, DirectTV deceived customers with hidden costs, and extended contracts without customers' permission.

In one particularly deceptive scam, the company disguised contract-extensions, tricking customers into thinking that they were getting repairs when they were actually committing to another year of service. They also promised to provide several channels that did not actually appear.

The company must repay its ill-gotten cash, as well as $13 million to various other states where customers were bilked.

There are over a million DirectTV customers in California. Brown's office received over a thousand complaints about the company. If you think that you're a victim of DirectTV's cheating, contact the Attorney General's office at http://ag.ca.gov/consumers/general.php.

For its part, DirectTV said that it's already stopped its deceptive practices.