Half of all children aged 12 and up now have a cell phone, according to global connectivity research outfit Yankee Group.

That means parents have to be especially wary of what are being termed "off deck" deals. That's where the cell phone provider partners with marketers who offer supposedly free ringtones, jokes of the day and other services.

A recent article in The New York Times reported one consumer had a child who responded for a free joke of the day that cost $20!

The cell providers split the money in half with the marketers. Cell providers particularly love those $9.99 add-a-phone offers for kids because the parent accepts responsibility for any charges that are incurred.

It's incumbent on you to teach your kids that they are not to respond to any "free" offers that are being pitched on the cell phone.

If you get hit with "off deck" charges, call up your cell phone company and tell them to remove the charge. Explain that you know they're in cahoots with the marketer.

Our own executive producer Christa got taken in one of these rip-offs. But it was Clark who gets the monthly bill for her cell phone! It took the consumer champ 3 months of bills and calls during each of those months before he finally got the cell phone company to behave.

In addition, be sure to read through your cell bill page by page. Don't get taken advantage of because of how confusing the bills can be.

Meanwhile, The New York Times also reports that some cell providers offer a $60/year service where they agree not to rip you off with all these "off deck" charges. Why should you have to pay a fee to prevent a company from ripping you off as a customer?! That's outrageous.