Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) has filed a lawsuit against two companies that it has accused of “widespread tech support fraud” that is targeting Alexa virtual assistant users and users of its Echo smart speakers.
Amazon sues Quatic software and Robojap Technologies
The suit alleges that Washington-based Quatic Software Solutions and Robojap Technologies from Punjab in India and some of their employees had scammed Alexa users by purporting to offer help in setting up the virtual assistant through fraudulent apps and websites.
The lawsuit indicated that the two companies reportedly used the e-commerce giant’s trademarks and also falsely misled users about Amazon and its services. This was in a bid to divert users from Amazon’s genuine customer support and activation process.
The lawsuit indicates that once users were dubbed to downloading the fake apps, they could then be asked to contact customer support, where they will be charged around $150 for impractical protection plans. Amazon indicated that when users were trying the apps and websites, they will mimic the process of download before showing an error prompting users to call for assistance.
Amazon accuses companies of deceiving users
A spokesperson of Amazon indicated that the company works to protect is customers. Therefore the deliberate misuse of Amazon brands to deceive innocent customers about setting their new devices is appalling.
The websites and two apps mentioned in the lawsuit seemed to be offline on Wednesday, and maybe because of the purported scam, they might be closed. In early March, Amazon had filed some paperwork for the removal of the alleged fake apps. So far, neither of the two companies has responded to the alleged claims.
It is important to note that Amazon usually offers the free setup for Alexa devices, and this is through the Alexa mobile app. On the Apple App Store, the developer’s name for the app is AMZN Mobile LLC, and in the Google Play Store, it is Amazon Mobile LLC. Normally the setup instructions are part of the smart speakers, Echo devices that the company sells.
