FTC And Partners Announce Operation Tech Trap To Target Tech Support Scammers

The Federal Trade Commission recently announced the creation of Operation Tech Trap, a new joint effort among national and international partners to combat tech support scams that dupe consumers into believing their computers contain harmful computer viruses and malware and then trick these consumers into paying hundreds of dollars for unnecessary repairs to "fix" their machines. 

The FTC and its partners, including Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, the Department of Justice, and India, announced sixteen new enforcement actions, ranging from civil complaints and settlements to criminal indictments and guilty pleas, against dozens of fraudulent and deceptive tech support operators.  Over the past year, Operation Tech Trap partners have brought 29 actions, both civil and criminal, to disrupt this growing problem.  A summary of Operation Tech Trap's law enforcement actions is available here.  Importantly, recent investigations into tech support