The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is distributing over $25.5 million to consumers who were misled into purchasing computer repair services by two tech support companies. These payments are part of a settlement reached with Restoro Cyprus Limited and Reimage Cyprus Limited, both based in Cyprus, following allegations that they violated the FTC Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule.
According to the FTC's allegations made in March 2024, these companies used deceptive marketing tactics to sell their services. The settlement not only involves returning money obtained from these firms but also prohibits them from misrepresenting security or performance issues related to any product or service sales, marketing, or distribution. They are also barred from engaging in deceptive telemarketing practices.
The FTC plans to issue 736,375 PayPal payments on March 13 and 14 to affected consumers. Eligible recipients will receive an email notification before March 13 and must redeem their payment within 30 days.
Consumers with questions regarding their payment can contact Rust Consulting, Inc., the redress administrator, at 844-590-1102 or visit the FTC’s website for more information about the refund process. Importantly, "the Commission never requires people to pay money or provide account information to submit a claim or receive a refund."
The FTC provides interactive dashboards for refund data that include a state-by-state breakdown of refunds issued in its cases. In 2024 alone, actions taken by the FTC resulted in more than $337 million being refunded to consumers nationwide.
The Federal Trade Commission is dedicated to promoting competition while protecting and educating consumers. It emphasizes that it will never demand money, make threats, instruct individuals to transfer funds, or promise prizes. Consumers can learn more about various topics and report scams online at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
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