Michael Cotter had a problem: his tech support company, Tech Live Connect, was facing too many ‘chargebacks’. The culprit? His employees were scamming customers into paying for non-existent fixes.

The ruse involved pop-up warnings of viruses and fake diagnostics. Once called, customers faced inflated bills to “fix” supposed problems. Far from firing the repeat offenders, Cotter opted for a cunning workaround: he started buying virtual debit cards and using them to create ‘legitimate’ charges. The result? A drop in chargebacks as the company appeared to be processing more genuine transactions.

This unethical strategy highlights a troubling trend where companies are gaming systems meant to prevent fraud, raising questions about accountability and integrity in business practices.