FTC Sends More than $25.5 Million to Consumers Impacted by Tech Support Firms’ Scam

The Federal Trade Commission is sending payments totaling more than $25.5 million to consumers who were tricked into signing up for computer repair services through the deceptive marketing tactics of two tech support companies.

The FTC alleged in March 2024 that Restoro Cyprus Limited and Reimage Cyprus Limited, both based in Cyprus, violated the FTC Act and the Telemarking Sales Rule by deceiving consumers into buying computer repair services.

The FTC is returning money it obtained from the companies as part of a settlement order with Restoro and Reimage. The order also prohibited the companies from misrepresenting security or performance issues related to the sale, marketing or distribution of any product or service, and from engaging in deceptive telemarketing.

The FTC will send 736,375 PayPal payments on March 13 and 14 to consumers who paid for computer repair services. Consumers who are eligible for a payment will get an email between now and March 13. Recipients should redeem their PayPal payment within 30 days.

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Consumers who have questions about their payment should call the redress administrator, Rust Consulting, Inc., at 844-590-1102 or visit the FTC’s website to view frequently asked questions about the refund process. The Commission never requires people to pay money or provide account information to submit a claim or receive a refund.

The Commission’s interactive dashboards for refund data provide a state-by-state breakdown of refunds in FTC cases. In 2024, FTC actions led to more than $337 million in refunds to consumers across the country.