Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, CONSUMER PROTECTION NEWS: New defendants, charges added in tech support scam case, (May 19, 2016)

By Michael Menzhuber, J.D., LL.M.

The FTC has added three new defendants to an ongoing case against a tech support scam that allegedly bilked consumers out of tens of millions of dollars by pretending to represent Microsoft, Apple, and other major tech companies, the agency announced today (FTC v. Click4Support, FTC File No. 152 3172, Case No. 2:15-cv-05777).

India-based Innovazion Research Private Limited, Abhishek Gagneja, and Rish Gagneja are alleged to have played an integral role in the enterprise that scammed tens of thousands of consumers with telemarketing calls and bogus computer popups and online advertisements.

The amended complaint includes new charges under the Telemarketing Sales Rule against different subsets of the defendants in the case. The complaint now alleges that:

• certain defendants engaged in credit card laundering; and

• certain defendants helped process credit card payments, handled chargebacks, opened bank accounts, and conducted other illegal activities on behalf of the other defendants, despite knowing that those defendants were engaged in illegal telemarketing practices.

The State of Connecticut and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are the FTC’s co-plaintiffs in this case.

Companies: Innovazion Research Private Limited

News: ConsumerProtection FederalTradeCommissionNews