The FTC says it’s cracking down on scammy pop-ups offering ‘tech support’
May 14, 2017 | Uncategorized
The Federal Trade Commission says it’s cracking down on pop-up scams selling tech support “fixes” to fake computer problems.
The FTC says it has taken 16 new “actions,” from settlements to guilty pleas, as part of Operation Tech Trap, a plan to stop similar scams. In all, the agency says it’s now taken 29 law enforcement actions against the perpetrators.
According to the agency, the scams are generally similar. An unsuspecting web user sees a pop-up claiming their system is in trouble: compromised by a virus, maybe, or infected with ransomware. The pop-up directs them to call a toll-free number.
When the person makes the call, someone on the other end says they need remote access to their computer. That…
