The operators of an alleged tech support scam agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they tricked consumers into paying millions of dollars for technical support services they did not need and software that was otherwise free.
Pairsys Inc., and its owners, Tiya Bhattachara and Uttam Saha, agreed to a monetary judgment of $3.1 million, which is suspended pending the defendants’ surrender of the contents of the bank accounts and a safe deposit box, along with two pieces of real estate in Albany, N.Y. The defendants also are required to terminate the leases on a 2013 Range Rover and a 2014 Maserati Quattroporte.
Whether consumers were cold-called or drawn in by the misleading advertisements, what followed was a deceptive high-pressure sales pitch by operators in an overseas call center, according to the FTC.
The scammers then would request remote access to consumers' computers, telling them that otherwise benign portions of their computers actually were signs of dangerous malware or viruses needing immediate repair.
The scammers then would pressure consumers into paying for computer security or technical support services, usually at a cost of $149 to $249, though in some cases the defendants charged as much as $600.
Along with giving up ill-gotten gains, the defendants are banned from selling any technical support service to consumers, from participating in any telemarketing generally, from making any misrepresentations to consumers in the sale of a good or service, and from collecting money for any technical support service.
