Katie Ann Barnaby A former employee of AT&T, Katie Ann Barnaby, was arrested on January 5 following a complaint from a customer regarding unauthorized modifications to their account. The customer, who had purchased a phone, a smartwatch, and accessories from an AT&T location in Stafford Springs in December 2021, reported the issue to state police in February 2024.AT&T's investigation revealed that Barnaby had engaged in similar deceptive practices with at least 30 other customers between November 2021 and January 2022. She was found to have made unauthorized additions and removals of protection plans, features, and phone lines in order to inflate her commissions unjustly.AT&T's sales consultants earn commissions ranging from $7 to $20 for each protection plan added, alongside a 5 percent commission on accessory sales. Barnaby's commission structure included a variable monthly pay of $1,150 based on her ability to meet specific sales targets. After internal findings led to her termination from the Stafford Springs store on July 15, 2022, Barnaby was rehired later that year as a manager at a different AT&T-authorized retailer in Willimantic, where she reportedly continued to manipulate customer accounts.
Barnaby has since confessed to her unauthorized actions. She appeared before a judge on January 6, with her bond set at $25,000.This incident underscores potential vulnerabilities in commission-based sales systems, raising questions about how to prevent similar fraud cases in the future. Although Barnaby has been held accountable, many instances of customer deception remain unresolved within the industry, prompting calls for carriers to reevaluate their incentive structures.
