Subscription Renewal Scams
Unfortunately, in recent years, the Identity Theft Resource Center has seen an increase in the number of subscription renewal scams.
These scams allow thieves to steal your personal information and possibly your identity. In order to avoid falling victim to subscription renewal scams, it is important to understand what exactly they are, what information the scammers want, and how to prevent the scams.
Our team at National Educational Services wants to make sure you are well informed and your identity stays protected, so keep reading to learn more.
What is the Scam?
Subscription renewal scams are very common, so it is very important to understand what they are so that you can avoid falling victim to the scam.
Cybercriminals will appear to be a recognized company and send emails to victims informing them that their annual subscription service has been renewed for the year.
The problem with these emails is they contain a link that appears to be asking the individual to review their subscription but yet they are malicious links that can give hackers the ability to steal your personal information.
What Information Do Scammers Want?
The goal of these emails is to get individuals to click the link and give hackers the opportunity to steal your personal information via the fake links they provide. While this is concerning, the even more concerning aspect is the additional crimes that hackers can commit once they have access to your personal information, including identity theft.
Subscription Renewal Scam Prevention Strategies
Although we want to believe that everyone has good intentions, that is unfortunately not true.
When you receive a text message or an email that appears to be about a subscription service from a company that you do not currently have a subscription to, you should ignore it completely.
Links that are found in these emails could contain malware, so it is best to avoid pressing on any links. A good rule of thumb for when you receive unexpected emails is to go directly to the source of the email to ensure if the message is real or not.
Additionally, you should check the email address of the sender if you receive an email from a company about subscription renewal and you currently have an active subscription with that company. If you are still unsure about the legitimacy of the email, directly call the company so that you are able to confirm that the email and the information in the email are valid.
Finally, if you are confident that the subscription renewal email is a scam:
- Report the email,
- Block the sender,
- and Delete the email.
For even more tips on how to stay safe online, read our blog posts titled:
Protect Your Identity Online with ID Theft Insurance from National Public Employee Alliance
Subscription renewal emails may not seem to be very concerning to many, but they should be.
These email scams are a gateway for hackers to gain your personal information and potentially cause you to fall victim to identity theft.
Purchasing Identity Theft Protection Insurance is a great way to ensure that your identity is protected from hackers. NPEA IdWatchdog Platinum offers policyholders a great deal of protection for only $7 per month.
Visit National Public Employee Alliance’s website to sign up for IdWatchdog!
To speak with someone about the benefits of Identity Theft Insurance, fill out the form below, and we will be in contact with you soon.
