Software Maniacs charging to install free version

Well, when I reset the hdd to manufacturer settings, they told me any bad stuff on the drive was deleted at the same time. And the reason I stand a very good chance of losing my dispute with the cc company is that I can prove nothing. And the law places the burden of proof on the accuser. And I can't prove anything. Thanks.

 

Actually, you can prove quite a bit. You have a charge to your credit card from a foreign company that has been flagged by the BBB as a company known to be not reputable as evidenced by past complaints about its business practices.

You don't have to prove anything to file a police report. It is the police job to investigate and forward its findings to the prosecutor. However in this age of cell phones with cameras, a pic of the bogus "blue screen" with the contact phone number and hopefully company name would have certainly helped.

Your call on this. If someone ripped me off for $500+, I would be screaming "bloody murder."

 

FYI - bleepingcomputer.com has a whole section on rogue tech support scams here: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/family/rogue-tech-support-scam/

 

Feds shut down tech support scammers, freeze assets
http://www.computerworld.com/articl...down-tech-support-scammers-freeze-assets.html

 

I am also going to post this reference from bleepingcomputer.com because I am fairly confident that the OP's situation came about via installation of a PUP/PUA:

* rouge tech support alert at boot time generally.

Ref.: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/remove-the-fake-norton-security-scan-scam