The Federal Trade Commission has added three new defendants to an ongoing case against a tech support scam. The scheme allegedly bilked consumers out of tens of millions of dollars by pretending to represent Microsoft, Apple, and other major tech companies.
The new defendants in the case, Innovazion Research Private Limited, Abhishek Gagneja, and Rishi Gagneja, are alleged to have been part of the massive operation, playing an integral role in the enterprise that scammed tens of thousands of consumers with telemarketing calls and bogus computer popups and online advertisements.
In addition, the amended complaint includes new charges under the Telemarketing Sales Rule against different subsets of the defendants in the case. Specifically, 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 activities on behalf of the other defendants in the case, though they knew those defendants were engaged in illegal telemarketing practices.
The Commission’s co-plaintiffs in this case are the State of Connecticut and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The Commission vote to file the amended complaint was 4-0. The amended complaint was filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
NOTE: The Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The case will be decided by the court.
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