The California law firm that sued Facebook and Zynga over scammy gaming ads is setting its sights on Apple, investigating a possible class action over reception problems with the new iPhone.

Kershaw, Cutter & Ratinoff, LLP is looking for people who "recently purchased the new iPhone and have experienced poor reception quality, dropped calls and weak signals." That's the same firm that filed a federal class action suit over deceptive "offer" ads in games like Mafia Wars and Farmville. In the case of the fourth-generation iPhone, released last week, the phone shows fewer reception bars if you hold it wrong; Apple has suggested gripping it different.

There is evidence other phones may have had problems when gripped a certain way. But none generated the number of public complaints or level of controversy associated with the iPhone 4. So when Steve Jobs personally suggests to users to "avoid holding it in that way," he's handing the likes of KCR some valuable legal ammunition.

Update: If you want to provide information to a lawyer or try and sign up for a future class action, you'll have to contact KCR directly — not us. (We've received a steady stream of emails.)

[Photo via Getty]