Geek Squad renewal scam emails: how to spot the fake invoice
Quick answer
An email saying your Geek Squad plan renewed for hundreds of dollars, with a number to call and dispute it, is a scam. Don't call it. Check your bank or card statement, and contact Geek Squad only through a number you look up yourself. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Comes by
- Email, Text, Phone call
- Pretends to be
- Geek Squad
- Last updated
How it works
Scammers pretend to be Geek Squad, the Best Buy tech support service. The FTC describes the message: it says you were charged hundreds of dollars to renew a Geek Squad plan and tells you to call within 24 hours to dispute the charge. The charge is made up. The point is to get you on the phone.
Once you call, the person who answers says they need to look at your computer and asks for remote access. The FTC warns that with that access scammers can install spyware, steal your online banking logins and drain your bank account.
A common second step is a fake refund. They ask for your bank details, make it look as if they refunded you too much, then tell you to pay the difference back with gift cards.
Red flags
- A renewal invoice for a plan you never bought, or one you can't find in your account
- A charge of hundreds of dollars with a deadline of 24 hours to dispute it
- A phone number in the message as the only way to cancel or dispute
- A sender address that doesn't match the company, or a generic greeting instead of your name
- A request for remote access to your computer
- A refund that was 'too much', followed by a request to pay back with gift cards
Example message
Your Geek Squad protection plan has been renewed and your account will be charged $[amount] today. If you did not authorize this charge, call our billing team within 24 hours at [phone number] to cancel.
What to do
- 1
Don't call or click
Ignore the number and any link or attachment in the message. Delete it.
- 2
Check the real account
Look at your bank or card statement and your Best Buy account directly. If you're unsure, contact the company on a phone number you know is real, not the one in the message.
- 3
If you gave remote access, cut it off
Disconnect from the internet, update your security software, run a full scan and remove what it finds. Restart the computer.
- 4
Change your passwords from a device you trust
Start with your bank, email and any account you logged into while they were connected. Change reused passwords everywhere.
- 5
If you paid or sent a refund back, call your bank or card company
Tell them it was fraud and ask them to reverse the charges. Check statements for charges you didn't make.
- 6
Ignore follow-up 'refund' calls
Victims are often contacted again with an offer of a refund. Don't give out bank or card details.
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
Scammers need your phone number or email, and often your name, before they can send a message that looks personal. They buy that from data brokers and people-search sites, or take it from data breaches. A message that names a real company you might use, sent to your own email or number, is cheap to send in bulk once they have your contact details. Serus finds the brokers that list your details where you live and sends the removal requests, and it alerts you when your email or phone number turns up in a breach, so fewer scammers can reach you.
More Geek Squad scams
Frequently asked
Is the Geek Squad renewal email real?
If it shows a charge you never agreed to and tells you to call a number to dispute it, it's the scam the FTC describes. Check your real account instead.
Is Geek Squad itself a scam?
No. Scammers pretend to be Geek Squad. Geek Squad is a real Best Buy service, and the fake messages have nothing to do with it.
I called the number. What now?
If you gave remote access, run a security scan, change passwords from a trusted device and review your statements. If you paid, ask your bank or card company to reverse the charge.
What if they asked me to buy gift cards?
Stop. The FTC says no real business or agency demands gift cards. Contact the card company at once with the card numbers and receipt, and report it.
Sources
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll re-check it.
