Some consumers are finding out the hard way that their iPhones are connecting to the Internet in the background--for example, to check for new e-mail messages.

That's normally not a problem for iPhone owners due to AT&T's unlimited monthly data plans. Take a trip overseas, however, and everything changes, as The New York Times reports. Some folks were hit with a monthly bill of $800 or more, and in one case, $3,000, due to "international roaming data" charges from AT&T.

AT&T's customer service reps weren't exactly forgiving about those charges either. In several cases, customers had to call several times and speak to different people at the company before they could get the charges erased. Because really, how could anyone have known? And does AT&T really think that people were doing this willingly?

Fun, Tours and a $3,000 Bill for Hardly Using an iPhone [NYT]