Operators of Tech Support Scam Settle FTC Charges

Washington, DC - The defendants behind Vast Tech Support have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission and State of Florida charges that they scammed thousands of consumers out of millions of dollars by selling them bogus technical support services.

Under the settlement, Vast Tech Support, LLC and OMG Tech Help, LLC and their chief operating officer, Mark Donohue are prohibited from misleading consumers about the nature of the products they sell or market, as well as from deceptive telemarketing. In addition, Vast Tech Support and OMG Tech Help are prohibited from advertising, promoting or selling any tech support products or services.

The FTC’s complaint against the defendants was filed in 2014 as part of a group of actions against Florida-based tech support schemes. It alleges that the defendants used software designed to trick consumers into thinking there were problems with their computers, and directed consumers to telemarketers who subjected those consumers to high-pressure deceptive sales pitches for tech support products and services. The FTC and State of Florida charged that the defendants violated the Telemarketing Sales Rule and the FTC Act, along with the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

Under the settlement, Mark Donohue is prohibited from misleading consumers about the nature of the products he sells as well as from deceptive telemarketing.

What a pile of steaming crapola. He was breaking a gazillion laws against fraudulent telemarketing the first time around. Now he's promising to REALLY not break those same laws again? Throw him in the clink for 20 to life with a telephone ringing four times an hour day and night.

I’m with you:

He WAS prohibited from misleading consumers about the nature of the products he sells as well as from deceptive telemarketing.

He did both.

Thus his punishment is merely holding him to the rules again?

Fraudsters impersonate victims’ ISPs in new tech support scam

Suspicious ads help provide the scammers with all the info they need.

David Bisson | June 23, 2016 9:36 am | Filed under: Malware, Security threats

Tech support scams have been around for quite some time. As a result, it’s no surprise these these ruses are growing in number and sophistication.

A tech support scam used to only consist of unknown fraudsters messing around with fake anti-virus alerts, or cold-calling potential victims pretending to be Microsoft and offering to help with a virus infection.

Not anymore.

Resellers of legitimate computer security software have been getting caught up in the scamming game. Not only that, but some scams are leveraging advanced techniques like computer lock screens to trick unsuspecting users.

It would now appear scammers have added yet another tactic to get what they want: impersonating a victim’s Internet Service Provider (ISP).

This new tech support scam begins with a pop-up message that interrupts a user’s browsing session. The message appears to come from the victim’s ISP, with Malwarebytes having detected several messages that claimed to originate from several popular U.S., Canadian, and UK Internet Service Providers including AT&T, ComCast, and TalkTalk.

Read at:

https://www.grahamcluley.com/2016/06/fraudsters-impersonate-victims-isp-new-tech-support-scam/

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