Geek Squad automatic renewal scam: how the fake charge text and email work
Quick answer
A message saying you were charged hundreds of dollars to auto-renew Geek Squad, with a number to call within 24 hours, is a scam. Don't call it. Check your card or bank account, and contact Best Buy at a number you look up yourself. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Comes by
- Text, Email, Phone call
- Pretends to be
- Geek Squad (Best Buy)
- First reported
- Latest official alert
- (FTC)
- Last updated
How it works
Scammers pretend to be Geek Squad, Best Buy's tech support service. Geek Squad is the one being impersonated here, not the one behind the message.
The FTC describes the pattern. You get a text or email saying you were, or will be, charged hundreds of dollars to renew your Geek Squad membership. To dispute the charge or cancel, it says you must call a phone number within 24 hours.
The call is where the money is lost:
- Remote access. The person on the phone may ask to connect to your computer. With access, scammers can install spyware, steal online banking logins and drain your account.
- The fake refund. Some ask for your bank details to "refund" you, then fake a transaction that makes it look like they refunded too much. To "pay it back" you're told to buy gift cards and read out the numbers and PINs.
The fake charge is invented. Its only job is to make you panic and call.
Red flags
- A text or email about a Geek Squad renewal charge you don't remember agreeing to
- A large amount, often hundreds of dollars, to create alarm
- A deadline of 24 hours to call and dispute the charge
- A phone number in the message instead of a way to check your account yourself
- A caller who asks to connect to your computer
- A refund that goes wrong and ends with you buying gift cards
Example message
Your Geek Squad membership has been renewed and your account will be charged $[amount]. If you did not authorize this, call [phone number] within 24 hours to cancel and get a refund.
What to do
- 1
Don't call the number or tap the link
Calling is what the scam is built around. Delete the message, or keep it if you plan to report it.
- 2
Check your own accounts
Look at your credit card and bank statements for a charge you don't recognize. If you find one, report it to your bank or card issuer and ask them to reverse it.
- 3
Contact Best Buy yourself if you're unsure
If you think the message could be real, reach the company using a phone number you know is genuine, such as the one on your own billing records or its official website. Never use the number in the message.
- 4
If you gave remote access, secure your computer
Update your security software, run a scan, delete anything it flags, then change your passwords and turn on two-factor authentication. From a different device if you can.
- 5
If you paid or shared bank details, call your bank now
Tell them a scammer tricked you and ask them to stop or reverse the payment. If you bought gift cards, call the card issuer using the number on the back of the card and ask for a refund.
- 6
If you shared personal information, protect your identity
Follow the steps at IdentityTheft.gov. Our guide on what to do after a data breach covers the same ground.
Report it
Check if your details are exposed with Serus
Scammers find your number and address on data brokers and people-search sites. Serus removes them.
Why you got it
These messages often reach people who never bought Geek Squad, which is why scammers send them in bulk. Where they have your name, email or phone number, it often comes from people-search sites and old data breaches. Serus finds the data brokers that list you and removes the listings, and alerts you when your email shows up in a breach, so fewer scammers can reach you.
Official alerts
More Geek Squad scams
Frequently asked
Is the Geek Squad renewal email real?
If it pushes you to call a number within 24 hours to dispute a surprise charge, treat it as a scam. Check your card or bank statement, and contact Best Buy using a number you look up yourself.
I called the number. What now?
Check your bank and card accounts for unauthorized charges and tell your bank if you gave out any account details. If you gave remote access, scan your computer and change your passwords.
Why would they ask for gift cards?
Scammers like gift cards because they're hard to trace and hard to reverse. A real refund never requires you to buy gift cards.
Does this mean Geek Squad was hacked?
Not necessarily. The FTC describes scammers pretending to be Geek Squad. The message can reach you whether or not you ever used the service.
Sources
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll re-check it.
