The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it is sending refunds consumers who were victims of a tech support scam and deceptive marketing of cognitive supplements.

On Tuesday, the FTC said it is sending 27,174 refund checks totaling more than $551,000 to consumers defrauded by marketers who made false claims regarding certain cognitive supplements including Xcel, EVO, Geniux, and Ion-Z.

The average check amount is $20.28. Consumers must cash the refund checks within 60 days.

In April 2019, the Commission sued twelve corporations and four individuals who used fake news websites to deceive and attract consumers into purchasing cognitive supplements between April 2012 and January 2017.

According to FTC, the sham news websites contained false and unsubstantiated efficacy claims, references to non-existent clinical studies, and fraudulent consumer and celebrity endorsements.

The defendants entered into a settlement agreement with the FTC to resolve the allegations against them. They agreed to stop making false disease claims and cognitive performance claims related to Xcel, EVO, Geniux, and Ion-Z supplements and to pay a combined $623,000 monetary judgment, which the Commission is using to provide refunds to defrauded consumers.

Also on Tuesday, the FTC will start providing refunds totaling more than $1.7 million to consumers who were victims of a tech support scam.

The Commission said it is sending 57,960 refunds averaging around $30 each to the victims of tech support scammers. Most of the victims will receive their refunds via PayPal. Those who will receive checks must cash or deposit it within 60 days.

According to the FTC, the scammers operated under Click4Support and other names. They tricked consumers into purchasing tech support services by telling them that their computers were infected with viruses, malware, or other security breaches.

These tech support scammers used ads on search engines and popups on websites claiming to be from major tech companies such as Apple and Microsoft. The scammers lured consumers into calling them and buying tech support services that they did not need.