28 people have called a number in the local phonebook and gotten scammed out of nearly 59 thousand dollars.

In 2006 Melissa Mahaney was in debt and needed help. Unfortunately when she tried to get it, she says she fell victim to the scam.

Melissa says," (I lost) 8 or 9 thousand dollars. I felt like an idiot. Like a sucker."

When Melissa sat down with the local phone book she found what she thought was a Charleston, West Virginia number, but she soon found out otherwise.

Consumer Credit Counseling of America is actually located in Massachusetts. And the Attorney General's office says the number in the book was connecting people to a debt settlement firm.

Norman Googel the Assistant Attorney General for the Consumer Protection Division says,"if you listen to late night cable tv or AM/FM radio you hear a lot of ads promising to help people become debt free, the majority of these ads are really offering a service called debt settlement. In West Virginia we allege the service is unlawful."

Debt settlement companies usually ask for thousands of dollars in upfront fees and that's not all.

Googel says, "The debt you started out with doesn't freeze, it increases every month."

When people need help handling these types of situations, they should seek out debt management companies. Jeff Wise runs a credit counseling service and says people need to do their homework before they sign-on for help. "If you can deal with somebody locally that's usually best. Get something in wiritng."

And Mahaney says you should follow your gut. "If you have an odd feeling, rely on your instincts."

Mahaney and the other 27 people affected were able to get a full refund. The Attorney General's Office also says the number has been disconnected and will be removed from the phone book.