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The FTC is sending refund checks to more than 541,000 people who paid for repairs and technical services when they took their computers to Office Depot or Office Max stores for a free “PC Health Check.” The FTC says that, between 2009 and November 2016, Office Depot and a software provider did scans and told people their computers had malware symptoms — only it wasn’t true. Many customers who got false scan results were then tricked into buying computer diagnostic and repair services.

The average refund in this case is $63. Any check that’s part of an FTC settlement comes with an explanation and details about the case. And you’ll find the case listed in the FTC’s chart of recent cases resulting in refunds. Remember that the FTC never requires you to pay a fee, and never asks for information like your Social Security or bank account number. If someone says they’re from the FTC but asks for money, that’s a scam. Please tell the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.

To get data about this mailing – like how many checks went to your state or the percentage of checks cashed so far – visit the FTC’s interactive dashboard for refund data. Choose “Office Depot” from the “Select a Case” box in the top right corner, then click on your state on the map.

If you have questions about your check, call the administrator at 855-915-0916.

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Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts

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