Premier Premium Communication provides the billing for a number of pay-
per-view websites and is not related to "modem hijacking," or other
unscrupulous web practices, company officials said Monday.  The company
provides only the billing for the UK sites.
    Premier is advising computer users to take a number of preventive steps
such as installing all Microsoft updates and take advantage of free downloads
offered by the industry such as anti-spyware and anti-spam scanners. A
comprehensive list of tips for consumers offered by Premium is available on
the following link at http://www.wolfenews.com/release.taf?id=1152.
    Recently, consumers in a number of states who have received bills from
Premium say they were victims of modem hijacking.  The company is processing
each billing dispute to determine which requests are from victims of modem
hijacking and will receive a credit or in some cases a refund. Credit requests
for billing disputes are preferred by postal mail.
    Premier Premium Communication is owned by an investor group in New
Hampshire that also owns National One Telecom and One Web Direct. The company
sends out about 15,000 invoices a week for their client, a UK company that
manages a number of pay-per-view websites. Of those, about 4 percent are
contested, below the average for the industry. The UK websites, which are
neither clients of nor under the control of the N.H. billing company, provide
gaming, sports information, entertainment and similar services via the web.
    Consumers who use these websites also incur an international long distance
charge from their phone carrier, which is separate from Premier's billing.
    Modem hijacking occurs when a unscrupulous web site operator attaches
special hijacking software that bypasses the required price disclaimers on the
dialup billing software. It is illegal. Premiere Premium is not responsible
for or connected in any way to this activity.