Fake subscription renewal and invoice scams

An invoice for a subscription renewal you didn't order, with a phone number to call to cancel or get a refund.

How it works

The email looks like a receipt for antivirus, computer support or a shopping membership, for a few hundred dollars. It wants you to panic and call the number. The “refund agent” then asks to connect to your computer to process the refund, “accidentally” refunds too much, and asks you to send the difference back.

The charge usually never happened. The phone number is the scam.

Red flags

• A charge you don't recognize, with a phone number to call to cancel it.
• It's sent from a free email address, or to “undisclosed recipients”.
• A “refund” that requires remote access to your computer.
• Being told you were refunded too much and must send money back.

What it looks like

You don't remember buying any antivirus software.

The tells:

1. A company billing you from a free email account.
2. A big charge you don't recognize, to make you panic.
3. The phone number is the trap.
4. “Dear Customer”: they don't know who you are.

A training example written for this site. Names, numbers and links are made up, and links are disabled.

What to do

1. Don't call the number in the email. Check your bank or card statement for the charge yourself.
2. If you have the subscription, sign in to it the way you normally would.
3. Delete the email.

If you already paid or shared information

1. Contact the company you used to pay (your bank, card company, gift card company, payment app or wire service) right away and ask them to reverse the payment.
2. If you shared a password, change it now and turn on two-factor authentication.
3. If you gave out your Social Security number or other ID details, go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.
4. Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For scams that happened online, you can also report to the FBI at ic3.gov.

From FTC: What to do if you were scammed.

Latest alerts about this scam

No recent FTC, CISA or FBI alerts are tagged with this scam. The guidance below still applies.

Sources

• FTC: How to recognize a fake Geek Squad renewal scam
• FTC: Phishers send fake invoices

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