See? We Told You So!

See? We Told You So!

For years we’ve been warning our readers about Reimage, Restoro, and all the other useless one-click-fix programs and fake or useless security software being advertised on the Web and social media. You know the ones. The ones that make outrageous claims and promises and use scare tactics to get you to part with your hard-earned money.

Our mission is to help you with your Windows computers — and to keep you safe on the web. We have warned you multiple (probably too many) times about one-click fix scams like Restoro and Reimagevand off-brand security programs like Guardio, Virus Total, and others.

Over the years we’ve answered many questions about rip-offs like Restoro and Reimage and other one-click fixes and scam security software. We have saved many of you from being ripped off.

Here is just one example. It’s a question and answer from one of our newsletters…

Robert asks about a program called Restoro.
I look to your expertise once again. Do you know of a program called “Restoro”, and if so what are your thoughts?

Our answer
Hi Robert. Restoro uses the same “technology” as the scamware program called “Reimage”. And I use the word “technology” very loosely. Restoro is yet another one-click fixer that supposedly repairs all your Windows problems while you sit back and sip lemonade and read your favorite book.

As we’ve said at least a hundred times, if such wonderful, one-click-fix technology existed, Microsoft would pay the inventor billions for it and include it with Windows – can you imagine how many man-hours and how much money would be saved if instead of giving instructions for fixing something, Microsoft only had to say, “Just run MS MiracleFix”. One tip covers all.

Restoro is shady software bordering on a scam. Why a scam? Well, besides the fact that it doesn’t fix all your Windows problems with a click, it claims to be “Free”. It uses the old bait & switch trick. Download Restoro free and run it and check your computer “free”. Of course, Restoro will “find” dozens or even hundreds of things wrong with Windows that it can magically fix with one click. But, of course, the fix is not free. You’ll need to fork over your hard-earned money to fix all the “errors” it found. Right now it’s $28 for a one-time “fix” and $41 for free “fixes” for a year.

Restoro is just another in a long line of one-click fix scams that create intentional false positives to convince users that their systems have problems. Then they try to sell you their software, claiming it will fix these problems.

Customer reviews are generally terrible and harsh. This one from Jabber is typical – note the response from Restoro.

Restoro is a waste of money and has a place in our hall of shame alongside other infamous one-click-fix scams like Reimage, WinFixer, MyFastPC, and all the others that have come and gone over the years.

Save your money, Robert. Don’t fall for the Restoro bait & switch scam.

Finally, after years of chicanery, Restoro and Reimage have been outed by the US Federal Trade Commission and found to be scams – just like we’ve been telling you for years.

Here’s part of the PC Mag article about the FTC lawsuit against Restoro and Reimage.

Fake Antivirus Software Hit With FTC Lawsuit After Raking in Millions

The US Federal Trade Commission says two antivirus software products, Restoro and Reimage, are actually fake products that have allegedly conned buyers out of “ten of millions” of dollars, according to a lawsuit filed by the government agency.

FTC investigators reportedly went undercover and bought the allegedly malicious software four times. They found that in all instances, the software lied, telling them that they had a host of viruses and security issues on their computers when in actuality, they did not. 404Media and Court Watch first reported the news.

One Restoro scan told the FTC that it supposedly had a staggering 522 issues with their test computer that needed repair. A Reimage scan found 1,244 so-called “issues,” which the software described as “PC privacy issues,” “junk files,” “crashed programs,” and “broken registry issues.” But these issues were actually just part of an effort to sell buyers bogus “repair” tools, according to the complaint.

Upon installation, the software prompted the user to call a phone number to “activate” the software. But the FTC argues that this is also a part of the scheme, as the phone call sends users to a person who tries to further upsell the customer on more computer “repair services” over the phone, the lawsuit alleges.

The FTC says the software programs, which both come from the same location in Cyprus, have effectively deceived customers out of “tens of millions” of dollars. So many customers demanded refunds through credit card chargebacks that Reimage was added to a risk-monitoring program in 2019. Many others filed complaints online, saying the products are a scam.

In 2020, Visa also alleged that the individuals behind the software are engaging in “fraudulent behavior,” the suit states. Visa subsequently put one of the companies connected to Restoro on a watch list in 2021 because of the high number of buyer chargeback requests.

Read the rest of this PC Mag article here…

We’ve got your back…

The FTC brought the hammer down on Restoro and Reimage – and hopefully, it won’t be long for them to catch all the others out there trying to rip you off.  There are a lot of scams going on and a lot of useless software, even dangerous, being aggressively promoted on the Web and social media.

We’ve been doing this for a long time and we want you to know that we’ve always had your back and we always will. Our mission is, and always has been to help you with your computer – and to help keep you safe on the web. We may not be raking in millions like the thieves and scammers do, but with your help, we will continue to do our best to keep you safe.

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