A New York-based business, Pairsys, has been shut down by a federal court after it sold spurious “security” software, among other programs, to consumers, the Federal Trade Commission announced.
A preliminary injunction, freezing the company's assets and requiring its websites and telephone numbers to be shut down and disconnected, was entered by a U.S. District Court in New York District on Oct. 9, an FTC release said. The company allegedly made $2.5 million since early 2012 selling bogus services to consumers, including freely available software and “scareware.”
The FTC also alleged that Pairsys workers posed as Microsoft or Facebook representatives when calling to deceive consumers.
“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,” FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection director Jessica Rich said.
