Tech Support Scam Refunds: FTC Mails 31,075 Checks
Most scam stories end without a refund. This one did. It also shows how a search for a lost email password became a paid "virus clean-up."
By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 11, 2026In October 2021 the FTC announced it was sending 31,075 checks totaling nearly $300,000 to people who lost money to a tech-support scheme run by Elite IT Partners. The company ran internet ads aimed at people seeking help with email passwords, then telemarketers posed as affiliates of well-known tech firms and pressured people into remote access and paid "clean-ups." The FTC says it never requires payment or account details to cash a refund check.
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Tech-support scams are often imagined as a pop-up with a flashing warning. This FTC case began somewhere quieter: with someone searching for help getting back into an email account. It is also one of the less common scam stories that ends with money returned.
What happened
On October 12, 2021 the FTC announced that it was sending 31,075 checks totaling nearly $300,000 to consumers who lost money to a tech-support scheme. The money came from a settlement with Elite IT Partners Inc. and its CEO, James Martinos, after an FTC complaint in 2019. The FTC said the scheme affected tens of thousands of consumers.
How the scheme worked
According to the FTC, Elite ran internet ads aimed at people looking for help recovering email passwords. People who responded gave their names, email addresses and phone numbers. Telemarketers then called them, often posing as affiliated with Microsoft and Yahoo!.
The callers pressed people to give remote access to their computers. They ran "diagnostic" tests that falsely claimed the computers and personal information were in imminent danger. Many people were then charged large sums for cleaning, antivirus software and ongoing tech support.
What was exposed
This is a good example of two exposures stacking up. First, victims voluntarily handed over contact details to an advertiser who looked like a helpdesk. Second, they gave strangers remote control of their computers, which can reveal files, saved passwords and logged-in accounts. The FTC release does not say anything was stolen from the machines. The harm it describes is financial: payment for services that were not needed.
How it ended
The FTC mailed the checks, and it set a deadline. Recipients had to cash them within 90 days. The agency also gave a warning that is worth remembering: it never requires people to pay money or provide account information to cash a refund check. Anyone asking for a fee to "release" a refund is not the FTC.
Refunds of this kind are rare relative to the size of the problem. They also depend on the company having money to pay and on the regulator being able to identify victims.
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What you can do
1Do not search for support through ads
Go to a company's own website for help. Paid ads can be placed by anyone.
2Never give remote access to a caller
Real technology companies do not phone you about viruses. If someone asks for remote access, hang up.
3Be careful where you enter your phone number
A lead form for "help with my password" can become a sales call. Check who runs the form first.
4Check your accounts afterwards
If you gave access, change passwords from a different device and review your accounts. Our guide on how to prevent identity theft lists the basics.
Key facts at a glance
- Announced: October 12, 2021
- Refunds: 31,075 checks, nearly $300,000 in total
- Company: Elite IT Partners Inc. and its CEO, James Martinos
- Complaint: 2019, resolved by a settlement
- Reach: the FTC said tens of thousands of consumers were affected
- Deadline: checks had to be cashed within 90 days
Spotting a scam that starts with a search
The scheme began with an advertisement aimed at a person with a real problem. That is a useful pattern to watch for. The first contact looked like help, not like a scam. The warning signs came later: callers who claimed to be affiliated with well-known companies, urgency about "dangers" on the machine, and a request for remote access followed by payment for services that were not asked for. If a call escalates in that way, the safest response is to stop and contact the real company through its own website.
What the release does not say
The FTC release does not give per-person refund amounts or the total number of victims beyond "tens of thousands." We have not estimated either. For another tech-support case, with a very different scale, read about a tech-support ring sentenced in New York.
To turn the lesson into action, our guides explain how to prevent identity theft, how scammers find your phone number and email and what to do if your identity is stolen. You can also try our free phone number exposure check.
Sources
- FTC: Refunds totaling nearly $300,000 to people who lost money to tech support scheme (31,075 checks, Elite IT Partners, 90 days, email password ads)
Frequently asked questions
Does the FTC charge a fee to cash a refund check?
No. The FTC says it never requires people to pay money or provide account information to cash a refund check.
How long did people have to cash the checks?
The release says 90 days.
Who was behind the scheme?
The FTC named Elite IT Partners Inc. and its CEO, James Martinos, in the settlement.
What does a legitimate support call look like?
Companies do not usually phone you about viruses. If you want help, contact them yourself using the number on their official website.
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