UPDATE: 08/05/2016 - Click link: Tech Support Scammers Settle With FTC, Florida AG, Lexology
On March 31, 2016, I wrote in my post, Consumer Alert: A ' Windows (MS Windows) Scam' Being Ran By Caller Using 212-777-3435, about false techs calling people and pretending to be what they were not. I informed you that these people were calling and posing as techs of the Microsoft corporation, and that they would attempt to convince you that your computer has been corrupted, and that they needed your computer's information and your personal information to solve the issue. In addition, I informed you that Microsoft does not call their customers.
Furthermore, I also informed you that I told one
such "tech" that he had surely reached the wrong number. Well, I have
good news to share in this post.
In Pam Bondi's ( the Florida Attorney General) newsletter for today, she shares how she and her
department have cracked down on the persons committing these frauds on innocent
Floridians.
You can read the story below or at the link attached:
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Attorney
General Pam Bondi News Release
July
8, 2016
Contact: Whitney Ray Phone: (850) 245-0150 |
Attorney
General Bondi and FTC Shut Down Tech Support Scam
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Federal
Trade Commission today announced that a federal court has temporarily shut down
an international tech support operation bilking consumers out of millions of
dollars. According to the investigation, the scam attempted to scare consumers
into believing their computers were compromised by malware or hackers, and then
company representatives pretending to be certified by or affiliated with
Microsoft and Apple offered to fix the problem for a fee. The court order
temporarily shut down the defendants’ operation, froze the defendants’ assets
and placed control of those assets with a court-appointed receiver. The
complaint filed jointly by Attorney General Bondi’s Office and the FTC alleges
that defendants based in Florida, Iowa, Nevada and Canada relied on a
combination of deceptive online ads and misleading, high-pressure sales tactics
to frighten consumers into spending hundreds of dollars for dubious computer
repairs and antivirus software.
According to the complaint, the defendants caused consumers’
computers to display advertisements sometimes designed to resemble security
alerts from Microsoft or Apple. These ads warned consumers that their computers
may be infected with malware and urged them to call a toll-free number to
safeguard both their computer and sensitive personal information stored on it. Consumers
who called the numbers in these ads were routed to the defendants’ call center
in Boynton Beach, where telemarketers purported to run a series of diagnostics
tests that inevitably discovered the existence of grave problems that the call
operator claimed must be immediately fixed at a cost of $200 to $300.
The defendants also frequently told consumers that they
needed to spend an additional $200 to $500 to replace their existing antivirus
software, which the defendants always claimed to be outdated and ineffective.
According to the complaint, consumers can acquire this software for a fraction
of the cost charged by the defendants. In many instances, the software the
defendants sold to consumers with Apple computers is available as a free
download.
The defendants in the case include Big Dog Solutions LLC,
doing business as Help Desk National and Help Desk Global; PC Help Desk US LLC,
doing business as Help Desk National and Help Desk Global; Inbound Call
Specialist LLC; BlackOpteck CE, Inc.; 9138242 Canada Corporation; Digital
Growth Properties, LLC; Christopher J. Costanza, doing business as CJM
Consulting, LLC; Muzaffar Abbas; Donald Dolphin; Suzanne W. Harris; Gary
Oberman; and Justin Powers.
The defendants are charged with violations of the FTC Act,
the Telemarketing Sales Rule and the Florida Unfair and Deceptive Trade
Practices Act.
To view the court order, click here.
To view the complaint filed, click here.
Anyone who suspects unfair or deceptive business practices
can file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office online at MyFloridaLegal.com or
in-state via phone at 1-866-NO-SCAM.
For consumer education materials about tech support scams,
click here.
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A job well done. However, we consumers must remain watchful.
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Oof, another scammer pretending to be from Microsoft Windows at called on 7/14/2016 at 4:41pm. Greedy thieves, aren't they. This time the came called from New York City from phone number 646-389-0143. Results: Reported and Blocked caller. Since we have had several of these types of scam callers lately, it is possible that they are one outfit cycling through states and phone numbers.
Remain watchful.
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Oof, another scammer pretending to be from Microsoft Windows at called on 7/14/2016 at 4:41pm. Greedy thieves, aren't they. This time the came called from New York City from phone number 646-389-0143. Results: Reported and Blocked caller. Since we have had several of these types of scam callers lately, it is possible that they are one outfit cycling through states and phone numbers.
Remain watchful.
