Business ProfileforAptus Business Services LLC

As of June 3, 2019, BBB has received complaints, reviews and Scamtracker reports alleging that Aptus Business Services LLC hacked into their computer and pretended to be Microsoft, Apple, or Mac employees. The consumers were led to believe they had a virus in their computer and were given a phone number to call for support, in which they were charged hundreds of dollars to fix the problem. The consumers allege that they later contacted their computer manufacturer and advised that they were the victim of a scam. 

On June 3, 2019, BBB found that the website, http://aptusbusinessservices.com/, had been taken down. The phone numbers (844) 774-2524, (844) 498-3433, and (800) 736-0124 are disconnect. BBB was able to reach an operator at (844) 774-9451, who stated the website would be back up in a few days. BBB was also advised that Aptus Business Services LLC was fully licensed to operate in the state of Oregon. 

BBB could not find valid registration for Aptus Business Services, LLC in the state of Oregon; the address listed for the business, 3362 Bentley Ave Eugene, OR 97405 is a residential home. BBB has reason to believe that Aptus Business Services, LLC is not physically located in the state of Oregon or in the United States. 

BBB recommends the following tips to spot a tech report scam: 

Tips to spot this scam:

       •   Never give control of your computer to a third party unless you know it is the representative of a computer support                  team you contacted.

       •    Legitimate tech support companies don’t call out of the blue. A popular way for thieves to get in touch with victims is               through cold calls. The callers often claim to be from a tech company, but remember that scammers can spoof                         official looking phone numbers, so don’t trust your Caller ID.

       •     Look out for warning screens; nearly half of tech support scams begin with an alert on the victim’s computer screen.                This pop up will have a phone number to call for help; instead of calling, shutdown your computer and restart it.

        •     Be wary of sponsored links. When you search online for tech support, look out for sponsored ads at the top of the                   results list. Many of these links lead to businesses that scam consumers.

        •     Don’t click on links in unfamiliar emails. Scammers also use email to reach victims. These messages point                               consumers to scam websites that launch pop-ups with the fake warnings and phone numbers.

For more information please read our article, at https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/16553-bbb-tip-tech-support-scams.

If you are a victim of this scheme, BBB recommends filing a complaint with FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.org and Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov. Additionally, you can file a Scam Tracker Report, complaint or review at www.bbb.org.