FTC Sending $2.2M In Refund Checks

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is sending refund checks worth $2.2 million to consumers in two actions where individuals were scammed. 

First, the agency is providing refunds totaling $1.7 million to those who were victims of a fake tech support scam involving a company called Click4Support LLC.

The FTC is also providing refunds totaling more than $551,000 to consumers who were defrauded by a maker of “cognitive improvement” supplements.

Click4Support Refund Checks

In the Click4Support scheme, consumers were reportedly defrauded into purchasing tech support services after being told that their computers were infected with malware, viruses, or other breaches.

The FTC was joined by Connecticut and Pennsylvania in this action, alleging that Click4Support placed ads on search engines as well as popups on websites, which claimed to be from companies like Microsoft and Apple. The scheme reportedly tricked consumers into calling Click4Support and buying tech support services that they did not need.

The FTC says that they will be giving out 57,960 refunds which average out to $30 each to victims of the Click4Support operation. The FTC notes that most of the victims will receive the refunds in their PayPal accounts, but those who are receiving checks should cash or deposit their checks within 60 days.

The FTC states that if consumers have any questions about the refunds, they should contact Rust Consulting, the refund administrator, at 1-877-389-4472.

Cognitive Improvement Supplements Refund Checks

The FTC is also sending 27,174 refund checks totaling more than $551,000 to consumers who bought “cognitive improvement” supplements that were deceptively marketed.

The agency notes that it filed a complaint against 12 corporate and four individual defendants in April 2019 claiming that the companies used fake news websites that contained false and unsubstantiated claims about the efficacy of the supplements.

The news sites also cited non-existent clinical studies as well as fraudulent celebrity and consumer endorsements, the FTC alleges.

According to the complaint filed by the FTC, the individual defendants are Fred Richard Guerra, III, Lanty Paul Gray, Jr., Rafat Abbas, and Robby O. Salaheddine. The FTC claims that these four individuals owned numerous corporate entities and, between August 2012 and January 2017, marketed and sold the dietary supplements, costing between $47 and $57 per bottle.

In addition, the FTC claims that the defendants made false and unsupported claims about the products’ ability to improve long and short-term memory and increased focus up to as much as 300 percent.

The two separate orders approved by the FTC bar the defendants from making cognitive performance and certain disease claims about products Xcel, EVO, Geniux, and Ion-Z. The settlement order totals $623,000 which the FTC is utilizing to provide the refunds to those consumers who were defrauded.  

The FTC says that the refund administrator, JND Legal Administration, started mailing checks on Feb. 25. The average amount of the checks is $20.28 and the money must be deposited or cashed within 60 days, which is indicated on the check.

Consumers who have questions about the refund should contact JND at 1-844-908-0532. In addition, the FTC states that it never requires anyone to pay any money or provide any information to cash refund checks.

Were you the victim of either of these scams? Leave a message in the comments section below.

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