Pairsys, Inc., Uttam Saha, Tiya Bhattacharya implicated.
By The American Bazaar Staff
NEW YORK: A New York-based computer services company run by two Indian entrepreneurs have been ordered shut down by a federal court following a complaint by the Federal Trade Commission.
According to the FTC’s complaint and other court documents filed by the agency, the defendants Pairsys, Inc., Uttam Saha and Tiya Bhattacharya, cold-called consumers masquerading as representatives of Microsoft or Facebook, and also purchased deceptive ads online that led consumers to believe they were calling the technical support line for legitimate companies. They also sold software that was otherwise available for free.
The scammers would convince a consumer to allow them to have remote control over the individual’s computer, in order to analyze the supposed issues.
Once they had access to a consumer’s computer, the FTC alleges, the scammers would lead the consumer to believe that benign portions of the computer’s operating system were in fact signs of viruses and malware infecting the consumer’s computer. In many cases, they implied that the computer was severely compromised and had to be “repaired” immediately.
At that point, consumers were pressured into paying for bogus warranty programs and software that was freely available, usually at a cost of $149 to $249, though in some cases, the defendants charged as much as $600 for the supposed products. The FTC’s filings in the case allege that the company made nearly $2.5 million since early 2012.
“The defendants behind Pairsys targeted seniors and other vulnerable populations, preying on their lack of computer knowledge to sell ‘security’ software and programs that had no value at all,” said Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a statement, adding that the FTC will get the money back from the accused.