FTC Launches 'Operation Tech Trap' to Catch Fraudsters

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), along with federal, state, and international partners, announced a project to crack down on tech support scams. The FTC claims these operations have scammed consumers out of millions of dollars in the US alone.

As part of "Operation Tech Trap" the group is bringing 16 new actions including complaints, indictments, settlements, and guilty pleas, against these operations. In the last year, partners have brought 29 law enforcement actions to prevent tech support scams.

Operation Tech Trap is targeting scammers who share a similar pattern. They trick consumers' machines into showing pop-ups that mimic security warnings from tech companies like Microsoft and Apple. The alerts warn users of compromise and urge them to call a toll-free number for assistance. There, victims are connected with people who run fake diagnostic tests and convince them to pay hundreds of dollars for unnecessary solutions.

Read more details here.