FTC Sending Refund Checks to People Tricked by Tech Support Scams

The United States Federal Trade Commission today announced that it is sending out refund checks totaling over $1.7 million to people who fell victim to tech support scams.

click4support


Scam companies like Click4Support created ads on various websites claiming to be from tech support companies like Apple and Microsoft, tricking consumers into calling them for unneeded tech support services.

Click4Support representatives would convince people into providing them with remote access to their computers for identifying non-existent viruses and malware. The fake services were sold both on a one time fee basis or with a long-term service plan, with the fake company charging from $69 to thousands of dollars.

The FTC shut down Click4Support and other similar companies back in 2015 and filed legal action at that time, with refunds finally available for customer who were tricked into shelling out money.

The FTC is providing refunds averaging approximately $30 each to victims, and most recipients will receive their refunds through PayPal, though some will receive checks. The money is sourced from Click4Support after a federal court in 2018 ruled that its assets should be used to reimburse customers who lost money due to the scams.

While this is a small victory for some users who have been tricked by scammers, scams have unfortunately grown much more sophisticated over the course of the last five years.

Apple maintains a dedicated support page that instructs customers on how to avoid phishing emails, fake virus alerts, fake phone calls, and other similar scams. These tips are well worth reading for anyone who owns an Apple device.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Everything Apple Announced at WWDC 2025 in 10 Minutes

Monday June 9, 2025 5:21 pm PDT by
At today's WWDC 2025 keynote event, Apple unveiled a new design that will inform the next decade of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS development, so needless to say, it was a busy day. Apple also unveiled a ton of new features for the iPhone, an overhauled Spotlight interface for the Mac, and a ton of updates that make the iPad more like a Mac than ever before. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel ...
iPadOS 26 Apple Newsroom

Apple Says iPadOS 26 is Compatible With These iPad Models

Monday June 9, 2025 11:22 am PDT by
Apple today announced that iPadOS 26 will be compatible with the iPad models listed below. iPadOS 26 features a new Liquid Glass design, a menu bar, improved app windowing, and more. iPadOS 26 supports the following iPad models:iPad Pro (M4) iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later) iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later) iPad Air (M2 and later) iPad Air (3rd generation and...
apple beta 26 lineup

Apple 'Sherlocked' These Apps at WWDC 2025

Wednesday June 11, 2025 7:14 am PDT by
Apple at WWDC previewed a bunch of new features coming in its updated operating systems, but certain changes will have been met with dismay by third-party developers who already offer apps with equivalent or similar features. In other words, their product has been "sherlocked" by Apple. When Apple creates an app or a feature that has functionality found in a third-party app, it is referred...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Says These 13 Vehicle Brands Will Soon Offer iPhone Car Keys

Monday June 9, 2025 2:38 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote today, Apple said that 13...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday June 12, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 26 Includes These 100 New Features and Changes for Your iPhone

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:59 am PDT by
Apple has announced iOS 26, and the upcoming software update includes a long list of new features and changes for iPhones. The first iOS 26 developer beta is now available, and a public beta will follow next month. The update will be released later this year. iOS 26 is compatible with the iPhone 11 and newer. Below, we have provided a high-level overview of 100 new features and changes ...
iOS 26 Screens

Here Are All the iOS 26 Features That Require iPhone 15 Pro or Newer

Thursday June 12, 2025 4:53 am PDT by
With iOS 26, Apple has introduced some major changes to the iPhone experience, headlined by the new Liquid Glass redesign that's available across all compatible devices. However, several of the update's features are exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, since they rely on Apple Intelligence. The following features are powered by on-device large language models and machine...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Hate iOS 26's Liquid Glass Design? Here's How to Tone It Down

Wednesday June 11, 2025 4:22 pm PDT by
iOS 26 features a whole new design material that Apple calls Liquid Glass, with a focus on transparency that lets the content on your display shine through the controls. If you're not a fan of the look, or are having trouble with readability, there is a step that you can take to make things more opaque without entirely losing out on the new look. Apple has multiple Accessibility options that ...

Top Rated Comments

jclo Avatar
69 months ago

Where is the money coming from? Tax dollars or is money recovered from the scammers?
Looked it up. From an earlier announcement: "At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a federal court ordered that the assets of the operators of an alleged tech support scam be used to reimburse consumers who lost money to the defendants’ scheme."

I'll add this information to the article.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
m4mario Avatar
69 months ago

Am I a jerk for being of the mindset that if you're... let's say ignorant... enough to fall for these scams then you kind of deserve it and shouldn't be reimbursed?
Most of the victims are old people with no understanding of computers and many have undiagonized Alzheimer's. They are/were pretty smart when it comes to various other aspects of life. Some of them were scammed out of their life's savings. There have been incidents of suicide due to scams. Is this how you want to treat the elderly who worked to build this country, who fought wars to protect you, who laid the roads you drive your car in?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D.T. Avatar
69 months ago
My tech support company always asks for Target gift cards as payment - so I'm confident they're legitimate.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheAppleFairy Avatar
69 months ago



P.S. Anybody know how I can get that "macrumors newbie" notation removed or changed in my profile box?

User titles are based on post counts:



* Newbie => 0 - 29 posts
* Member => 30 posts
* Regular => 100 posts (minimum required to post in the Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum)
* 6502 => 250 posts (minimum required for access to the Marketplace forum)
* 6502a => 500 posts
* 65816 => 1,000 posts
* 65832 => 1,500 posts
* 68000 => 1,505 posts
* 68010 => 2,000 posts
* 68020 => 2,005 posts
* 68030 => 2,500 posts
* 68040 => 3,000 posts
* 601 => 4,000 posts
* 603 => 5,000 posts
* 604 => 6,500 posts
* G3 => 8,000 posts
* G4 => 10,000 posts
* G5 => 12,000 posts
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CrapShack Avatar
69 months ago
Wish I was stupid. Pays well.

P.S. Anybody know how I can get that "macrumors newbie" notation removed or changed in my profile box?

I KNOW, I'll do this Click4Support thing and for $69 they'll tell me:)
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Attirex Avatar
69 months ago
Unfortunately, my mother-in-law fell for one these scams. She's not stupid, but in her eighties and very far from being tech savvy. As a result, she's an easy target. I suspect many victims are elderly.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)