SMRTR TechApr 13, 2026Ars Technica

Your tech support company runs scams. Stop—or disguise with more fraud?

SMRTR summary

Tech Live Connect owner Cotter ran a fraudulent tech support scam that generated chargebacks, so he created fake "friendly" charges using real customer data to lower his chargeback ratio and keep payment processors from shutting him down. This elaborate scheme cost $140,000 monthly but allowed the company to defraud Americans of an additional $8 million over four years before Cotter was sentenced to 28 months in prison.

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