AT&T worker added fake lines to accounts for years to boost commission, CT cops say
A former AT&T worker is accused of running a scheme that involved tampering with customer accounts to boost her commission, Connecticut police said.
Katie Ann Barnaby, 35, of Stafford was arrested Jan. 5 on a felony computer crime charge after investigators said she secretly added unauthorized phone and tablet lines to customer accounts, according to a Jan. 7 news release from Connecticut State Police.
Attorney information for Barnaby was not listed in online court records.
Authorities began investigating Barnaby in February after a customer reported “significant” fraudulent charges on their AT&T account well above what was agreed upon during their initial purchase of a phone and phone plan, according to an arrest warrant.
Police learned Barnaby was also being investigated internally by AT&T for similar practices, including adding and removing protection plans and other features from customer accounts, court records show.
Authorities said Barnaby tampered with about 30 customer accounts beginning in 2021, leading to multiple complaints.
Despite “several active investigations” into her behavior and being terminated in July 2022 for misconduct, Barnaby was hired the following month as the manager of an AT&T retail store, where she continued to work with customer accounts, authorities said.
Police said AT&T compensation policies during this time revealed salespeople received between $7-$20 per protection plan and “5% of the net sales price for accessories.”
One customer told police Barnaby’s fraudulent charges cost them $2,041.78 over two years. Authorities said other customers impacted by Barnaby’s scheme faced fraudulent charges exceeding $1,000.
Barnaby is due back in court Jan. 21, court records show.
Stafford is about a 30-mile drive northeast from Hartford.
This story was originally published January 13, 2025 at 2:23 PM with the headline "AT&T worker added fake lines to accounts for years to boost commission, CT cops say."
