By the A.M. Costa Rica staff


There will be no trial for two South Florida men who owned and operated a fraudulent tech support business known as Client Care Experts, LLC (CCE). U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft announced on Friday, that  a man surnamed  Seward, 32, of Deerfield Beach, Florida, and another man surnamed McCormick, 46, of Delray Beach, Florida, have both pleaded guilty to a federal indictment charging them with  conspiracy to commit wire fraud, admitting in the process that their  business, formerly known as “First Choice Tech Support”, was a scam.

Seward and McCormick were part owners of CCE, based in Boynton Beach, Florida, and considered themselves the chief executive officer and chief financial officer respectively. As part of their  guilty pleas, both men admitted they also oversaw the operations of another fraudulent tech support business called ABC Repair Tech (ABC), located in Costa Rica.

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 their computers.

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.

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 another $400. 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.

From 2013-2016, the two companies, CCE and ABC 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.

Before Seward and McCormick pleaded guilty, they had been set for trial on Sept. 9th. Their case has been pending since May 2018, when a federal grand jury in East St. Louis returned a superseding  an indictment charging them and their former vice president, surnamed  Wasik, 35, of Boynton Beach,  Florida, with one count of conspiracy and 13 counts of wire fraud.

Wasik pleaded guilty to the conspiracy count earlier this year.

The former CEO of ABC, Cary Lawing, is due to be sentenced on October 15 before the Honorable Nancy J. Rosenstengel, Chief United States District Judge for the Southern District of Illinois.

Lawing, 34, of Lincolnton, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy  late last year.

Since April 2017, 14 other employees of CCE and ABC have also pleaded guilty to federal fraud violations in the Southern District of Illinois.

Another CCE salesperson surnamed Crowell, 30, of Maple Shade, New Jersey remains under indictment and is scheduled for trial on Sept. 9th, 2019.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. All defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a jury.

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.

The  defendants could also be ordered to serve up to five years of supervised release and pay a fine of  up to $250,000. Under federal law, restitution to the identified victims is mandatory.

Ten of the convicted defendants have been sentenced already.

Some consumers who were victimized by ABC or CCE and First Choice Tech Support have received  additional fraudulent calls.

These calls typically come from companies claiming either (a) that the technical support the victims purchased has been transferred to them and additional
funds are now needed, or (b) 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 or First Choice Tech Support, or to provide them with a refund for any previous purchases.

The full court statement on this case can be reached at U.S. Department of Justice site here.*


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Have you heard of any fraud cases concerning U.S. citizens in Costa Rica? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com

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