Computer fix-it companies settle US FTC charges they lied about hacking threats

Two companies that claimed they could help rid computers of viruses and malware agreed to pay $26 million to settle U.S. Federal Trade Commission charges they duped consumers, particularly older adults, into buying repair services they did not need. After consumers called a phone number to "activate" their software, Restoro and Reimage telemarketers accessed their computers and tried to "upsell" them into buying services done by technicians, costing hundreds of dollars more, the FTC said. "These companies used scare tactics and lies about threats to consumers' personal computers to bilk consumers," said Samuel Levine, director of the FTC consumer protection bureau.