Your tech support company runs scams. Stop—or disguise with more fraud?
Summary
Ars Technica details a long-running tech-support scam by Tech Live Connect, where fake virus warnings led to remote access and high charges for consumers. To suppress chargebacks, the company paid fake invoices using virtual debit cards across multiple gateways, netting about $13 million over four years. Federal authorities pursued the case, resulting in an injunction and, in January 2026, Cotter pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and receiving a 28-month prison sentence.