Geek Squad subscription scam: how to spot the fake renewal email
Quick answer
An email or text saying your Geek Squad subscription renewed for hundreds of dollars, and you must call within 24 hours to cancel, is a scam. The number reaches a scammer who asks for remote access to your computer. Don't call. Check your card statement and 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. You get a text or email that looks like an invoice: you were, or will be, charged hundreds of dollars to renew a membership. To dispute it or cancel, the message says you must call a number within 24 hours.
The FTC says that when you call, the scammer may ask for remote access to your computer. With it they can install spyware, steal your online banking logins and drain your accounts. Another version asks for your bank details to "refund" you, then fakes an accidental overpayment and tells you to buy gift cards to pay it back.
Best Buy's own guidance describes these as routine-looking notices that an account you never opened is about to auto-renew for hundreds of dollars.
Red flags
- An invoice or renewal notice for a service you don't remember buying
- A deadline (such as 24 hours) to call a number and cancel
- A sender address that isn't a Geek Squad or Best Buy address
- A request to install remote access software
- A "refund" that is bigger than it should be, followed by a request for gift cards
- Hundreds of dollars charged, but no link to your real account
Example message
Your Geek Squad protection plan renewed today for $[amount]. Invoice [number] attached. If you did not authorize this charge, call [phone number] within 24 hours to cancel and receive a refund.
What to do
- 1
Don't call the number or open the attachment
Contact Geek Squad or Best Buy only through a phone number or website you already know is real.
- 2
Check your card or bank statement
If there's no charge, there's nothing to cancel. If there is one you don't recognise, call your bank on the number on your card.
- 3
Report it
Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Best Buy asks you to report suspected Geek Squad scams to abuse@BestBuy.com.
- 4
If you gave someone remote access
Turn off the computer's internet connection, remove the remote access program, change your passwords and banking logins from a different device, and call your bank.
- 5
If you bought gift cards
Contact the gift card company right away with the card numbers and receipts and tell them it was a scam.
- 6
Keep the evidence
Save the email, the number it gave and any payment receipts for your bank and your report.
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 rarely guess. Names, phone numbers, email addresses and home addresses are sold by data brokers, listed on people-search sites such as Spokeo, and leaked in breaches, which is how a message can reach you with your name already on it. Serus finds the brokers that list you and removes your listings, and alerts you when your details turn up in a breach, so fewer scammers can build a convincing message about you. If you've already shared details, our guide on what to do after a data breach covers the next steps.
More Geek Squad scams
Frequently asked
Is the Geek Squad renewal email real?
If you didn't sign up and the message tells you to call a number to cancel within a deadline, it matches the scam the FTC describes. Check your card statement instead.
What happens if I call the number?
The FTC says the scammer may ask for remote access to your computer, which can let them install spyware and steal banking logins.
Is Geek Squad the scammer?
No. Scammers pretend to be Geek Squad. Geek Squad is the company being impersonated.
I already paid. Can I get the money back?
Call your bank or card issuer right away and tell them it was fraud. The sooner you call, the better the chance of stopping the payment.
Sources
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