TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today issued a Consumer Alert to let victims of several tech support scams know that millions of dollars in restitution is available. A multimillion-dollar claims process is now in place following action taken by the Florida Attorney General’s Office to shut down several companies operating tech support scams. Banc of America Merchant Services provided payment processing for the accused companies. Through an agreement with Banc of America, a claims process is now in place with $7,200,000 available for victims.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Tech support scams are designed to make consumers think they are experiencing a computer problem. Many victims may not even know they are being scammed until months later. My Consumer Protection Division is aggressively pursuing tech support scammers, and victims need to know that restitution is available in many cases. If you or someone you know has experienced a tech support scam, please review the information provided by our office regarding the claims process—you may be eligible for restitution.”
The claims process follows a massive tech support scam investigation by the Attorney General into the following companies; Complete Fix, Compusafe, JSA Sales, GoReadyCalls Marketing, My Direct Customer Care, My Direct Tech, PC, Tech Pros, Project Net 123, Protectnet Solutions, Safenet Solutions, Secure IT Digital Solutions, Telcom Experts, US Software Experts, US Software Pros, Webguard 123 and Wizard Tech Solutions.
According to the investigation, as many as 70,000 people nationwide may have fallen victim to scams by these companies. Last month, claims notices went out to potential victims with information about how to obtain restitution.
For more information on the claims process, visit FloridaAGReimbursement.com.
Eligible victims are encouraged to submit claim forms as soon as possible. The deadline to file a claim and any supporting documentation is Dec. 17, 2019.
The Florida Attorney General’s Office has taken action to stop 13 tech support scams since 2014—representing the most tech support scam cases filed by a single state agency in the country. Attorney General Moody filed the most recent case in March 2019 against American PC Corporation.
Tech support scams typically involve fake pop-up messages or imposter phone calls claiming that a consumer’s computer is infected with malware that poses imminent risk to the computer. Fraudsters will request virtual access to a victim’s computer to supposedly fix the nonexistent problem. These scammers often target seniors.
To avoid tech support scams, consumers should never:
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- Click on any links or call phone numbers provided on pop-up ads or emails;
- Send money, credit card numbers or any financial information to someone they do not know;
- Give anyone control of personal computers or electronic devices;
- Forget that Microsoft and most major computer companies do not display pop-up warnings and ask consumers to call toll-free numbers about viruses or security problems; or
- Go online without up-to-date security software.
For more information on avoiding tech support scams, click here.
To report a suspected scam, file a complaint by calling the Attorney General’s Office at 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or visiting MyFloridaLegal.com.
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The Florida Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division issues Consumer Alerts to inform Floridians of emerging scams, new methods used to commit fraud, increased reports of common scams, or any other deceptive practice. Consumer Alerts are designed to notify Floridians about scams and available refunds in an effort to prevent financial losses or other harm caused by deceptive practices. Anyone encountering a scam should report the incident to the Florida Attorney General’s Office by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or visiting MyFloridaLegal.com.