TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — If you were victimized by a tech support scam, you may be able to file a claim to get back some of your money that was lost.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody wants you to know that there is a multi-million restitution claims process currently underway through Aug. 30. If you received a notification that you're eligible to file a claim, you're encouraged to do so as soon as possible.
The Attorney General's Office says more than 100,000 people nationwide were victimized by tech support scams made by 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
- Wizard Tech Solutions
Banc of America Merchant Services provided payment processing for the accused companies, according to the Attorney General's Office.
Through an agreement with that bank, a claims process with $7.2 million is available to those who were victimized by those companies.
If you need to file a claim, you can find information on how to here.
“Our Consumer Protection Division has worked hard to secure restitution for victims of tech support scams and they continue to diligently reach out to eligible consumers. We need your help to make sure victims know restitution is still available. If you or someone you know was the victim of a tech support scam, please file a claim before the August 30 deadline," Attorney General Ashley Moody said.
The Attorney General's Office says tech support scams usually involve fake pop-up messages or imposter phone calls claiming that a consumer’s computer is infected with malware that poses an imminent risk to the device.
Scammers will request virtual access to a victim’s computer to supposedly fix the nonexistent problem. These scammers often target seniors.
For information on how to avoid tech support scams, click here.
To report a suspected scam, submit a complaint by calling the Attorney General’s Office at 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or visiting MyFloridaLegal.com.
