American TelNet (ATN) was an American
1-900 telephone number company formed 1992, operated by Abraham (Michael) Pardes (COO), Michael Self, Howard Markowitz (CFO), and Ted Liebowitz (CEO). It operated
phone sex
Phone sex is a conversation between two or more people by means of the telephone which is sexually explicit and is intended to provoke sexual arousal in one or more participants. All parties participate voluntarily; it is typically accompanied ...
lines, as well as
psychic hotlines
A psychic is a person who claims to use extrasensory perception (ESP) to identify information hidden from the normal senses, particularly involving telepathy or clairvoyance, or who performs acts that are apparently inexplicable by natural laws ...
for Zodiac and American Psychic.
ATN settled a lawsuit with the
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. The FTC shares jurisdiction ov ...
in 1999 for $39 million over
cramming practices. A previous $2.5 million settlement was reached with FTC in 1994.
By 2003 the company had overcharged the psychic hotlines and was beginning to become insolvent. The company dissolved in 2006. At that time Liebowitz owned 53% of the company, Pardes owned 39%, and Markowitz owned 5%.
[In re American Telnet Inc, Kenneth Welt v Michael Pardes, Ted Liebowitz, Sara Liebowitz, and Gavin Kahn]
References
{{Uncited category, article about an organization, cat1=1992 establishments in Florida, date=June 2022
1992 establishments in Florida
Adult entertainment companies