FTC targets computer support scams.

• Position: CYBERCRIME

In October 2012, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had launched "a major international crackdown on tech support scams." The commission took aim at telemarketers masquerading as being associated with major tech companies to seam consumers into believing their computers "are riddled with viruses, spyware, and other malware" and then charging hundreds of dollars to remotely access, fix, and monitor the consumers' computers.

A U.S. District Court judge ordered a halt to six alleged tech support scams and froze the defendants' assets. In announcing the judgment, FTC Chairman John Liebowitz stated that the defendants had "taken scareware to a whole other level of virtual mayhem."

The six operations, most of which were based in India, targeted English-speaking consumers in the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom (UK). They contacted the consumers by telephone and reportedly claimed they were affiliated with legitimate companies, such as Microsoft, Dell, McAfee, and Norton, and told the consumers that they had detected malware that posed an imminent threat to their computers. They directed consumers to a utility area of their computer and falsely claimed it demonstrated the computer was infected.

According to papers the FTC filed with the court, the scammers sought to avoid detection by consumers and law en forcers by using virtual offices that were, in fact, mail-forwarding...