Talk about a wrong number.
What was intended as an effort endorsed by Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco to raise money for a children's charity instead directs consumers to a phone sex line, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported Thursday.
Boxes of Chad Ochocinco Cereal, a limited edition offering featuring the Bengals star's likeness, include a phone number printed on them, 1-800-HELP-FTC, that connects callers to a seductive-sounding message that asks for a debit or credit card and states: "You must be 18 or older to get into this party, baby!" instead of the charity Feed The Children.
According to the Enquirer, the correct number to donate to the charity is 1-888-HELP-FTC.
Boxes of the cereal were being removed from Kroger store shelves Thursday morning, the Enquirer reported.
The low fat, honey nut, toasted oat cereal -- available for $5 per box -- went on sale earlier this month at Kroger stores.
Robert Bailey, president of Rosenhaus Sports, which represents Ochocinco, told the newspaper the charity gave the supplier the wrong number.
“Feed the Children inadvertently provided the producers of the cereal box with an ‘800’ number instead of the correct number with an ‘888’ exchange," he said in a statement. "We greatly regret the mistake and the trouble it has caused, but Chad himself was in no way involved in this error."
Ochocinco told WCPO-TV Channel 9 on Wednesday the number was clearly a mistake for which he was not responsible. He said he is confident the Pittsburgh company behind the cereal, PBL Sports, will fix the problem.
1 comment:
Chad knows numbers
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