-Published: Tuesday, October 15, 2019-

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
 
A former vice president and sales manager of a fraudulent tech support business known as Client Care Experts, LLC, surnamed Wasik, has been sentenced to 125 months in federal prison. That was announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Illinois.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Wasik, 36, of Oakland Park, Florida, was sentenced in federal district court in East St. Louis, Illinois, to the prison term for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The court also ordered Wasik to pay over $10.5 million in  restitution to the victims of the fraud scheme.

Wasik worked at Client Care Experts, formerly known as First Choice Tech Support, which was based in Boynton Beach, Florida. The company also operated a similar tech support business called ABC Repair Tech in Costa Rica, said federal officials.

According to court documents, the defendants purchased pop-up advertisements that would appear suddenly on a person’s computer screen. The pop-ups were made to look like system warnings and falsely informed the victims that serious problems, such as viruses or malware, had been detected on the computer.

Often, the pop-ups caused the person’s internet browser to freeze up and stop responding. The pop-ups also typically warned the victims not to shut down their computers or else they would lose all their data. Instead, the ads directed them to call a toll-free number, where they were connected to sales representatives who continued the fraud, said the documents.

The sales representatives would convince the victims to grant them remote access to their computers, where normal computer functions and routine processes were highlighted as evidence of  serious computer problems. Victims were never told that the pop-ups that had hijacked their computers were just advertisements purchased by the tech support company or that in most instances  they could make the pop-ups go away simply by rebooting their computers. Instead, they were sold remote tune-ups for $250 and anti-virus protection software for $400 more. If victims balked  at the steep prices, the sales representatives would offer them a discount for being a senior citizen or a military veteran or something else, said the court documents.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office from 2013 to 2016, the two companies, Client Care Experts and ABC Repair Tech. combined to defraud more than 40,000 people.

Victims were located in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, several U.S. territories, all 10 Canadian provinces, the United Kingdom, and several other foreign countries. At least 57 victims of the scams were residents of the Southern District of Illinois,  representing 22 of the district’s 38 counties, including St. Clair and Madison. All told, the two companies took in over $25 million, said the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Wasik pleaded guilty to count one of a 14-count superseding indictment earlier this year.

Two former  owners of Client Care Experts, one surnamed Seward, 32, of Deerfield Beach, Florida, and another surnamed McCormick, 46, of Delray Beach, Florida, also pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and are set to be  sentenced Nov. 18.

A fourth individual, the former CEO of ABC Repair Tech, surnamed Lawing, is due to be sentenced today before the Nancy J. Rosenstengel, chief U. S. District judge for the Southern District of  Illinois. Lawing, 34, of Lincolnton, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to a felony information late last year.

Since April 2017, 15 other employees of Client Care Experts have also pleaded guilty to federal fraud violations in the Southern District of Illinois, as follow:

- A man surnamed Aievoli, IV, of Boynton Beach, Florida – salesperson.

- A man surnamed Bachman of Boynton Beach, Florida – salesperson.

- A man surnamed Broad of Boynton Beach, Florida – director of training.

- A man surnamed Stocker Carr of Mount Laurel, New Jersey – team leader.

- A man surnamed Cortez of Lake Worth, Florida – director of training.

- A woman surnamed Crowell of Maple Shade, New Jersey – salesperson.

- A man surnamed Davidson of Boynton Beach, Florida – salesperson.

- A man surnamed Dougherty of Boynton Beach, Florida – salesperson.

- A man surnamed Espenshade of West Palm Beach, Florida – salesperson.

- A man surnamed Iannaccone of Monroe Township, New Jersey sales manager.

- A man surnamed Ludena of Boca Raton, Florida – salesperson.

- A man surnamed McCart of Boynton Beach, Florida – team leader.

- A man surnamed Miller of Schwenksville, Pennsylvania – salesperson.

- A man surnamed Richardson, 28, of Lake Worth, Florida – salesperson.

- A woman surnamed Swinson of Boynton Beach, Florida – team leader. The woman also was identified as working at ABC Repair Tech.

Because the crimes allegedly took place in connection with telemarketing and victimized 10 or more  persons over the age of 55, the maximum punishment in each case is 30 years imprisonment. Each defendant could also be ordered to serve up to five years of supervised release and pay a fine of  up to $250,000.

These cases are part of an ongoing investigation by the St. Louis Field Office of the Chicago Division of the U. S. Postal Inspection Service.

The Florida Attorney General’s Office raided Client Care Experts in June 2016 and has been cooperating with the federal investigation, in addition to bringing its own civil enforcement action against the firm under Florida state law, said the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The Federal Trade Commission has been working for some time to shut down illegal tech support scams. For more information about the agency's “2019 Tech Support Takedown,” is available at Consumer FTC site*.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, some consumers who were victimized by First Choice Tech Support/ Client Care Experts and ABC Repair Tech have received  additional fraudulent calls. These calls typically come from companies claiming either that the technical support the victims purchased has been transferred to them and additional  funds are now needed; or that they can help the victims obtain a refund.

“Victims should be advised that no companies have been authorized to provide them with any tech support services on  behalf of ABC or CCE / First Choice Tech Support, or to provide them with a refund for any previous purchases,” said the U.S. Attorney’s Office in its announcement.

More information on this case, can be reached at U.S. Justice Department site.*


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Have you heard on tech support services calls on  behalf of ABC or CCE or First Choice Tech Support?   We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to: news@amcostarica.com

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