Lawsuit alleges large-scale scam.
By The American Bazaar Staff
WASHINGTON, DC: Microsoft has filed a trademark lawsuit against several technical support companies, including the Bengaluru-based C-Cubed Solutions Private Limited, alleging that these companies have scammed around 3.3 million consumers by as much as $1.5 billion using its name and logos to create the impression of an affiliation with it.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California earlier this month, claims that these companies use Microsoft’s name and logos to “enhance their credentials and confuse customers about their affiliation with Microsoft.” Almost 65,000 complaints involving such scams have been registered since May, Microsoft said in a company blog post.
The modus operandi involved scammers claiming to find non-existent bugs and viruses, offering tech support, stealing personal and financial details, and/or malicious programs being introduced into the computer. These companies give the impression that they are affiliated to Microsoft.
Many computer users fall victim by accessing websites or allow program downloads, which is subsequently used to steal personal and financial logins and passwords.
Microsoft says C-Cubed Solutions Private Limited operates a mail server which routes “fraudulent technical support businesses communicate with customers.”
C-Cubed Solutions’ website lists it as a subsidiary of Customer Focus Services (CFS), a Nevada Limited Liability Corporation headquartered in Los Angeles, California, reported the International Business Times.
Law360 reported that lawsuit as saying: “Consumers naturally expect that technical support offered and sold using the Microsoft name and marks are, in fact, provided by Microsoft, or at least licensed or sponsored by Microsoft. However, Microsoft has … confirmed that not only were these services not licensed or sponsored by Microsoft, but also that they were not even providing any services at all.”
The eight-count complaint lists federal infringement, false designation of origin, unfair competition, false advertising, dilution and cybersquatting, as well as various state and common law violations.
The lawsuit names also OmniTech, whose corporate name is Customer Focus Services LLC, and also apparently does business under FixNow Tech and TechSupport Pro. The complaint also named Marc Haberman, Rachel Eilat Haberman, Anytime Techies LLC, and unnamed defendants.