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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsU.S. works to shut down tech support scam
The United States has taken steps to shut down several fake tech support scams that have cost consumers tens of millions of dollars, the Federal Trade Commission said on Wednesday.
In the scheme, six separate rings of scam artists, most in India, call people in the United States, Canada, Australia and elsewhere, identify themselves as working for reputable companies and ask the victim to check his or her computer. The consumers are then told their computer has a virus that can be removed for a fee of $49 to $450.
FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz estimated that the scams had netted tens of millions of dollars.
The FTC froze the U.S. assets of scam artists, had their websites taken down and convinced U.S. phone carriers to shut down services that allowed them to operate from India using U.S. telephone numbers.
Five of the six groups telephoned consumers and claimed to be from legitimate companies such as Microsoft or Dell, while the sixth advertised through Google.
http://bottomline.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/03/14206238-us-works-to-shut-down-tech-support-scam?lite
Offshoring tech support, who knew it wouldn't be safe........
Systematic Chaos
(8,601 posts)Every minute they waste on someone who's onto them and will keep them dancing for nothing is a minute which can't be used to bilk the gullible.
DainBramaged
(39,191 posts)cemaphonic
(4,138 posts)1st call, I just hung up (and then googled around to confirm that it was as scammy as it sounded)
2nd call, I toyed with them for awhile, and then "got called away suddenly"
3rd call, they still weren't getting the hint, so I just threatened to report them to the relevant authorities, at which they got abusive in an amusingly passive-agressive manner.
Very unprofessional conmen. Would not buy.
Glad to see the feds are cracking down on them.
(Oh, and OP - what does this have to do with the outsourcing of legit tech support, other than playing on people's expectations that tech support callcenter workers are often Indian?)