FTC Cracks Down on Fake Tech Support Websites
Contributed by: Email on 10/03/2012 11:07 AM
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The U.S. Federal Trade Commission today announced a crackdown on tech support websites that tricked users into paying for the removal on non-existent computer viruses.
Specifically, a U.S. district judge granted an FTC request to freeze the assets of six support scams, pending further hearings. FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said the cases involve 14 companies and 17 individuals.
"The tech support scam artists we are talking about today have taken scareware to a whole other level of virtual mayhem," Leibowitz said in a statement.
Most of the scammers were based in India but targeted users in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., and Ireland.
The scam was simple: Five of the six scammers used telemarketing calls while the sixth used Google ads to draw in unsuspecting customers - often by telling them they worked for legitimate firms like Dell, Microsoft, or McAfee. The scammers would then convince a user they had a virus installed on their machine, ask to take over their machines to "remove" the malicious software, and then charge consumers between $49 and $450 for a task they had not actually completed. In all, they used 80 different domain names and 130 different phone numbers.
The FTC said it plans to ask the court for restitution for those affected by the scam.
Suspects were charged with violating the Federal Trade Commission Act, which bars unfair and deceptive commercial practices. They were also hit with charges for illegally calling numbers on the Do Not Call Registry.
Last month, the FTC cracked down on PC rental firms that were spying on users by capturing screenshots, logging keystrokes, and taking webcam photos of unknowing renters.
Specifically, a U.S. district judge granted an FTC request to freeze the assets of six support scams, pending further hearings. FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said the cases involve 14 companies and 17 individuals.
"The tech support scam artists we are talking about today have taken scareware to a whole other level of virtual mayhem," Leibowitz said in a statement.
Most of the scammers were based in India but targeted users in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., and Ireland.
The scam was simple: Five of the six scammers used telemarketing calls while the sixth used Google ads to draw in unsuspecting customers - often by telling them they worked for legitimate firms like Dell, Microsoft, or McAfee. The scammers would then convince a user they had a virus installed on their machine, ask to take over their machines to "remove" the malicious software, and then charge consumers between $49 and $450 for a task they had not actually completed. In all, they used 80 different domain names and 130 different phone numbers.
The FTC said it plans to ask the court for restitution for those affected by the scam.
Suspects were charged with violating the Federal Trade Commission Act, which bars unfair and deceptive commercial practices. They were also hit with charges for illegally calling numbers on the Do Not Call Registry.
Last month, the FTC cracked down on PC rental firms that were spying on users by capturing screenshots, logging keystrokes, and taking webcam photos of unknowing renters.
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