Court orders Florida company to stop alleged fraud scheme targeting seniors

FLORIDA — The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida has ordered Florida company, Windows Service Center LLC, and its owner and operator, Erica Herson, 41, of Miami, to stop operating an alleged technical-support fraud scheme that is alleged to have defrauded elderly and vulnerable U.S. victims out of over $1 million.

In a complaint filed on March 30, the United States alleges that Herson operated a scheme through Windows Service Center, as well as through her prior company USEL Support LLC.

The complaint states Herson contacted individuals over the phone and convinced them to purchase overpriced and unnecessary technical support services and anti-virus software by falsely claiming that their computers were infected with viruses or malware or were accessed by hackers.

The complaint alleges that, in reality, Herson had no specific knowledge of the security of the victims’ computers prior to making the calls.

The complaint also alleges that Herson charged victims thousands of dollars for the installation of software that is available online for free or for a low cost.

In addition, the complaint alleges that once a victim had made a purchase from USEL Support, Herson and USEL Support contacted that same victim repeatedly to try to obtain further payments by falsely claiming that the victim’s computer had additional security problems.

The complaint alleges that Herson is continuing the same technical support fraud scheme through her new company, Windows Service Center.

“Technical support fraud schemes often prey on America’s seniors, exploiting their fear of online threats to steal their hard-earned savings,” said Principal Deputy Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.

“The Department of Justice is committed to using all tools available to protect seniors from telemarketing fraud, whether those fraudulent phone calls are coming from call centers abroad, or from right here in the United States.”

The temporary restraining order entered March 31 prohibits Herson and Windows Service Center from engaging in telemarketing activity related to computer or software technical support and from accepting consumer payments related to any computer or software technical support service.

This case is being handled by Trial Attorneys Amy Kaplan and Ann Entwistle of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney James A. Weinkle for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).

This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps.