AT&T Accused of Faking DirecTV Now Accounts to Boost Numbers
- Investors claim in lawsuit that AT&T misled them with numbers
- Employees allegedly taught to secretly add customer accounts
AT&T Inc. DirecTV NOW enabled devices are displayed inside a company store in Newport Beach, California.
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
AT&T Inc. pressured employees to create fake accounts for its DirecTV Now streaming television service to boost subscriber numbers ahead of its 2018 merger with Time Warner Inc., according to a lawsuit accusing the telecommunications giant of misleading investors.
The company taught and encouraged employees across the country to secretly add the product to the accounts of existing customers without their knowledge, according to an amended complaint filed Friday.