Promotionsonlineusa.com Subscription Scam: What You Need to Know
Written by: Thomas Orsolya
Published on:
Promotionsonlineusa.com is a dangerous scam website that tricks unsuspecting victims into signing up for unwanted subscriptions. This comprehensive guide will provide an in-depth overview of how the Promotionsonlineusa.com scam works, help victims understand what to do if they have fallen prey, and offer key takeaways to avoid this and similar subscription traps.
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Overview of the Promotionsonlineusa.com Scam
Promotionsonlineusa.com utilizes deceptive techniques and known brand names like Amazon, The Home Depot, and Walmart to fool visitors into taking an online survey. After completing the survey, victims are told they have won a valuable prize like an iPhone. However, in order to claim the prize, they must first pay a small $9.90 shipping fee.
This is where the scam truly begins. After entering payment information, victims are automatically signed up for expensive monthly subscriptions without consent. Additionally, the promised prize never arrives. Sadly, many honest, hard-working people fall victim to this scam while browsing the internet.
How Victims Are Lured to the Site
Promotionsonlineusa.com relies on unethical lead generation tactics to drive traffic to their scam website. The most common methods include:
Malvertising – Malicious popup, banner, and video ads placed on shady websites. These ads may promote free gift cards, prize giveaways, or virus warnings to entice clicks. Once clicked, users are redirected to Promotionsonlineusa.com.
Social Media Ads – Scammers often buy cheap social media advertising to target vulnerable demographics with clickbait offers. Messages may claim viewers have won a free iPhone or must take an important survey.
Spam Emails – Deceptive emails are sent en masse to purchase email lists. Subject lines are catchy and content warns recipients they must take quick action to claim prizes or avoid account suspensions. Links lead to Promotionsonlineusa.com.
While navigating the web, staying vigilant against scams is crucial. If an offer appears too good to be true, it likely is.
An Inside Look at the Scam Website
Once lured onto the official Promotionsonlineusa.com website, users are met with convincing graphics and messaging to build trust and excitement around prize winnings and survey participation. Here is a glimpse at what visitors experience:
Branding Elements – The site uses fonts, colors, templates commonly seen on legitimate ecommerce stores to appear credible. Logos like Amazon and official security badges are displayed despite being unaffiliated.
Survey Questions – A series of short questions with buttons are presented covering basic demographic info. Submitting answers triggers prize notifications.
Prize Selection Game – Users must choose from boxes as if playing an online game to secure prizes. Pre-set winnings are shown regardless of box picked, often iPhones, gift cards, or smart home devices.
Shipping Payment Page – On this final page, personal and payment details are collected under the guise users must cover a small $9.90 shipping fee to receive winnings. In reality, account and billing information is stolen for recurring monthly subscriptions.
With an understanding of tactics used on the website itself, it becomes clearer how otherwise wary internet users can be smoothly manipulated into participating in sweepstakes offers and surveys.
What Happens After Entering Payment Information
Once credit card information is collected on Promotionsonlineusa.com for the supposed shipping payment, victims soon realize they have been scammed in multiple ways:
No Prize Delivery – The promised free gifts like iPhones, smartwatches, or gift cards are never shipped out. Delivery timeframes provided were false all along.
Unauthorized Subscriptions – Within 1-2 weeks, victims see monthly charges from unfamiliar third-party companies appear on credit card statements. Monthly fees typically ranging from $89-$299 are billed recurrently for mystery subscription services never signed up for.
Payment Details Resold – Credit card numbers, passwords, addresses, and other sensitive information entered on the site are sold on dark web marketplaces. This exposes victims to future financial fraud or identity theft.
Essentially, the Promotionsonlineusa.com website acts as a fraudulent front to collect sensitive user data and sign unknowing visitors up for recurring monthly billing scams. The promised prizes and survey participation are completely fake – solely manipulation techniques to lower defenses before stealing financial information.
How the Promotionsonlineusa.com Scam Works Step-By-Step
Now that you understand the devious intentions driving Promotionsonlineusa.com, let’s break down exactly how this scam ensnares good-faith website visitors into unwilling subscription plans:
Step 1: Entice Victim Clicks with Misleading Offers
As outlined in the overview section, Promotionsonlineusa.com relies heavily on lead generation tricks to drive target traffic to their scam portal. Most visitors reach the site after clicking social media ads, contextual banners, email links, or popups promoting free gift cards, prize giveaways, or urgent warnings while browsing dubious websites.
For example, a Facebook ad may read:
“iPhone 15 Pro Giveaway! We’re giving away 100 FREE iPhone 15 Pros. Click here to take a short survey and see if you’ve won!”
These type of attention-grabbing messages convince website visitors to click without considering potential risks.
Step 2: Build Trust and Excitement Around Survey Participation
After clicking misleading offers, visitors land directly on Promotionsonlineusa.com. The website branding and content focus intensely on building credibility around the advertised survey and prize giveaways.
Visitors see exciting confirmation messages emphasizing they’ve been specially selected to participate in an exclusive customer satisfaction survey. Completing the quick 3-4 question survey allegedly enters them into iPhone, AirPods, or gift card prize drawings.
To manufacture trust, fake reviewer quotes, security badges, a US business address, and established brand logos are displayed prominently. Everything down to site aesthetics make the scam more convincing.
Step 3: Collect Personal Information Through Survey Questions
Now that visitors are enthused to take the survey for prize eligibility, the questioning begins.
A series of 3-4 multiple choice questions request fairly innocent personal details like age, gender, shopping habits, and brand preferences. Users’ guard is down believing survey responses may improve Amazon, Walmart or other major retailer experiences.
Little do they know, this information is only gathered to build detailed user profiles for targeting and selling data. Still, the minimal questions seem harmless enough to proceed for the promised generous prizes.
Step 4: Show Visitors They’ve “Won” Valuable Prizes
Seconds after completing the short survey, exciting prize claim notifications appear on-screen. Despite random guessing, visitors are told they were specially selected as winners for iPhones, AirPods, Walmart gift cards, or other hot ticket items.
To build suspense, a simulated online game similar to a claw machine runs prompting visitors to pick a box hoping their prize lies inside. A countdown clock pressures visitors to select boxes quickly before time expires.
Ultimately, the victim’s “lucky” box choice reveals they have won either an iPhone, AirPods Pro, or a $500 grocery gift card. The only catch left is paying a mere $9.90 shipping fee and the incredible prizes will arrive within 3-5 days. Even savvy shoppers would have a hard time walking away from deals too good to be true.
Step 5: Collect Credit Card Information for “Shipping Charges”
Having come this far showing viewers personalized prize claim notifications, Promotionsonlineusa.com now asks visitors to validate eligibility by covering a small $9.90 shipping charge.
A reasonable shipping fee is what finally motivates visitors blinded by dollar signs to input sensitive payment information including:
Full Name
Physical Address
Phone Number
Credit Card Number
CVV Security Code
Website language clearly confirms only shipping costs will be applied to visitor accounts. No recurring charges or confusing fine print in sight. Visitors gleefully input details, pay, and await arrival of promised iPhone and other hot electronic prizes.
Step 6: Sign Up Victims for Recurring Monthly Subscriptions
Within 1-2 weeks the cold reality sets in. Not only do the promised free prizes never arrive, but unfamiliar recurring $49, $89, or $99 charges from random third-party companies emerge on credit card statements.
These charges relate to monthly subscription plans scammers illicitly signed victims up for after stealing financial data. Monthly plans may be for pdf convertors, antivirus software, movie clubs, job listing sites, or other services never requested.
Sadly, contact information entered on the website cannot be traced as scammers utilize dummy domains and offshore hosting. Any credit card charge disputes also mysteriously fail. At this point, victims have no choice but to painstakingly cancel each fraudulent monthly subscription and monitor financial statements moving forward.
In the end, Promotionsonlineusa.com obtains all the sensitive personal and payment information they need to profit from underground selling of data, forced subscription plans, or potential financial theft.
What to do if You Have Fallen Victim to Promotionsonlineusa.com
Discovering you’ve been manipulated into entering personal information and hard-earned money into Promotionsonlineusa.com under false pretenses is understandably enraging. While some financial or data privacy damage may be irreversible, here are smart action steps victims should immediately take in response:
Cancel Any Active Subscriptions or Services
The first priority is identifying all monthly subscription charges, services, software, or physical products signed up for without authorization as result of Promotionsonlineusa.com credit card data theft.
Check bank and credit card statements carefully highlighting any unfamiliar recurring fees from the past 1-3 months. Common charges range from $89-$299 per month for unsolicited services.
Once all fraudulent businesses are identified, immediately call each company demanding cancellation of services and refund of charges. Be persistent explaining payments were made without consent. Dispute all charges with credit card providers as well for the best chance of remuneration.
Call Banks to Monitor Accounts for Future Fraud
Unfortunately, once personal information is sold on the dark web to Promotionsonlineusa.com or similar scammers there is no way to undo potential future harm. Financial account or identity theft may emerge down the road beyond the initial subscription scam charges.
As a precaution, call all banks and credit card companies used on the malicious website to flag accounts as high risk for fraud. Request increased security through methods like PIN code transactions, lowered cash withdrawal limits, online purchase verification procedures and have fraud monitoring enabled if available.
Ask financial institutions to issue new card numbers altogether to further protect accounts that may have payment data compromised unknowingly. Though extreme, total card replacement gives peace of mind against recurring financial breach.
Run Anti-Virus Scans to Remove Spyware or Keyloggers
Visiting technically-savvy scam websites like Promotionsonlineusa.com poses threats beyond immediate billing fraud or privacy invasion. Victims may be exposed to dangerous malware like spyware, keystroke loggers, or trojan bot downloads designed to capture passwords, financial data, or control devices covertly over months.
Run full system anti-virus scans to check for and remove these sophisticated hacking threats that historically bypass standard Windows or MacOS protections. Safeguard online identities by changing account passwords as added precaution too.
Monitor Credit Reports and Set Fraud Alerts
With bad actors potentially having access to full names, addresses, social security digits and more, victims should take measures to protect credit histories as well by setting up protective fraud alerts.
Order full credit reports looking for signs of emerging identity theft. Place 90-day fraud victim alerts warning lenders of compromised information to prevent scammers from opening unauthorized lines of credit. Options also exist for credit freezes stopping all access without approval and extended 7-year fraud alerts. Though extreme, such alerts provide security after falling prey to privacy threatening scams.
Report Scam Website and Charges to Federal Trade Commission
While frustratingly difficult to achieve direct restitution from elusive scam websites like Promotionsonlineusa.com, reporting these malicious sites and associated credit card fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can build critical cases to some day shut operations down fully.
The more victims able speak up on shady business practices, file complaints noting financial damages and privacy violations, then stronger consumer protection rulings can be enacted. Add your voice by contacting the FTC fraud division online or by phone.
Is Your Device Infected? Check for Malware
If your device is running slowly or acting suspicious, it may be infected with malware. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free is a great option for scanning your device and detecting potential malware or viruses. The free version can efficiently check for and remove many common infections.
Malwarebytes can run on Windows, Mac, and Android devices. Depending on which operating system is installed on the device you’re trying to run a Malwarebytes scan, please click on the tab below and follow the displayed steps.
Malwarebytes For WindowsMalwarebytes For MacMalwarebytes For Android
Scan your computer with Malwarebytes for Windows to remove malware
Malwarebytes stands out as one of the leading and widely-used anti-malware solutions for Windows, and for good reason. It effectively eradicates various types of malware that other programs often overlook, all at no cost to you. When it comes to disinfecting an infected device, Malwarebytes has consistently been a free and indispensable tool in the battle against malware. We highly recommend it for maintaining a clean and secure system.
Download Malwarebytes for Windows
You can download Malwarebytes by clicking the link below.
After the download is complete, locate the MBSetup file, typically found in your Downloads folder. Double-click on the MBSetup file to begin the installation of Malwarebytes on your computer. If a User Account Control pop-up appears, click “Yes” to continue the Malwarebytes installation.
Follow the On-Screen Prompts to Install Malwarebytes
When the Malwarebytes installation begins, the setup wizard will guide you through the process.
You’ll first be prompted to choose the type of computer you’re installing the program on—select either “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer” as appropriate, then click on Next.
Malwarebytes will now begin the installation process on your device.
When the Malwarebytes installation is complete, the program will automatically open to the “Welcome to Malwarebytes” screen.
On the final screen, simply click on the Open Malwarebytes option to start the program.
Enable “Rootkit scanning”.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now start, and you will see the main screen as shown below. To maximize Malwarebytes’ ability to detect malware and unwanted programs, we need to enable rootkit scanning. Click on the “Settings” gear icon located on the left of the screen to access the general settings section.
In the settings menu, enable the “Scan for rootkits” option by clicking the toggle switch until it turns blue.
Now that you have enabled rootkit scanning, click on the “Dashboard” button in the left pane to get back to the main screen.
Perform a Scan with Malwarebytes.
To start a scan, click the Scan button. Malwarebytes will automatically update its antivirus database and begin scanning your computer for malicious programs.
Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.
Malwarebytes will now scan your computer for browser hijackers and other malicious programs. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
Quarantine detected malware
Once the Malwarebytes scan is complete, it will display a list of detected malware, adware, and potentially unwanted programs. To effectively remove these threats, click the “Quarantine” button.
Malwarebytes will now delete all of the files and registry keys and add them to the program’s quarantine.
Restart your computer.
When removing files, Malwarebytes may require a reboot to fully eliminate some threats. If you see a message indicating that a reboot is needed, please allow it. Once your computer has restarted and you are logged back in, you can continue with the remaining steps.
Your computer should now be free of trojans, adware, browser hijackers, and other malware.
If your current antivirus allowed this malicious program on your computer, you may want to consider purchasing Malwarebytes Premium to protect against these types of threats in the future. If you are still having problems with your computer after completing these instructions, then please follow one of the steps:
Scan your computer with Malwarebytes for Mac to remove malware
Malwarebytes for Mac is an on-demand scanner that can destroy many types of malware that other software tends to miss without costing you absolutely anything. When it comes to cleaning up an infected device, Malwarebytes has always been free, and we recommend it as an essential tool in the fight against malware.
Download Malwarebytes for Mac.
You can download Malwarebytes for Mac by clicking the link below.
When Malwarebytes has finished downloading, double-click on the setup file to install Malwarebytes on your computer. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.
Follow the on-screen prompts to install Malwarebytes.
When the Malwarebytes installation begins, you will see the Malwarebytes for Mac Installer which will guide you through the installation process. Click “Continue“, then keep following the prompts to continue with the installation process.
When your Malwarebytes installation completes, the program opens to the Welcome to Malwarebytes screen. Click the “Get started” button.
Select “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer”.
The Malwarebytes Welcome screen will first ask you what type of computer are you installing this program, click either Personal Computer or Work Computer.
Click on “Scan”.
To scan your computer with Malwarebytes, click on the “Scan” button. Malwarebytes for Mac will automatically update the antivirus database and start scanning your computer for malware.
Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.
Malwarebytes will scan your computer for adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious programs. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
Click on “Quarantine”.
When the scan has been completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes has detected. To remove the malware that Malwarebytes has found, click on the “Quarantine” button.
Restart computer.
Malwarebytes will now remove all the malicious files that it has found. To complete the malware removal process, Malwarebytes may ask you to restart your computer.
Your Mac should now be free of adware, browser hijackers, and other malware.
If your current antivirus allowed a malicious program on your computer, you might want to consider purchasing the full-featured version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to protect against these types of threats in the future. If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove a malicious program from your computer, please ask for help in our Mac Malware Removal Help & Support forum.
Scan your phone with Malwarebytes for Android to remove malware
Malwarebytes for Android automatically detects and removes dangerous threats like malware and ransomware so you don’t have to worry about your most-used device being compromised. Aggressive detection of adware and potentially unwanted programs keeps your Android phone or tablet running smooth.
Download Malwarebytes for Android.
You can download Malwarebytes for Android by clicking the link below.
In the Google Play Store, tap “Install” to install Malwarebytes for Android on your device.
When the installation process has finished, tap “Open” to begin using Malwarebytes for Android. You can also open Malwarebytes by tapping on its icon in your phone menu or home screen.
Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup process
When Malwarebytes will open, you will see the Malwarebytes Setup Wizard which will guide you through a series of permissions and other setup options. This is the first of two screens that explain the difference between the Premium and Free versions. Swipe this screen to continue. Tap on “Got it” to proceed to the next step. Malwarebytes for Android will now ask for a set of permissions that are required to scan your device and protect it from malware. Tap on “Give permission” to continue. Tap on “Allow” to permit Malwarebytes to access the files on your phone.
Update database and run a scan with Malwarebytes for Android
You will now be prompted to update the Malwarebytes database and run a full system scan.
Click on “Update database” to update the Malwarebytes for Android definitions to the latest version, then click on “Run full scan” to perform a system scan.
Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.
Malwarebytes will now start scanning your phone for adware and other malicious apps. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
Click on “Remove Selected”.
When the scan has been completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes for Android has detected. To remove the malicious apps that Malwarebytes has found, tap on the “Remove Selected” button.
Restart your phone.
Malwarebytes for Android will now remove all the malicious apps that it has found. To complete the malware removal process, Malwarebytes may ask you to restart your device.
Your phone should now be free of adware, browser hijackers, and other malware.
If your current antivirus allowed a malicious app on your phone, you may want to consider purchasing the full-featured version of Malwarebytes to protect against these types of threats in the future. If you are still having problems with your phone after completing these instructions, then please follow one of the steps:
Restore your phone to factory settings by going to Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset.
The Bottom Line: Avoiding Promotionsonlineusa.com and Subscription Scams
In the end, Promotionsonlineusa.com operates with pure malicious intent to mislead internet users into entering valuable financial and personal data under false pretenses. By enticing visitors to take branded surveys with prize offers then strong-arming credit card information for alleged shipping charges, this scam business steals identities, forces unwanted subscription plans, resells sensitive data and may install dangerous system malware given website access.
Moving forward, extreme caution is advised when encountering similar money-too-good-to-be promotions across squirrelly websites, social channels, inboxes or online ads. Look for these red flags signaling likely subscription scams:
Branding From Well-Known Retail/Tech Companies
Easy Online Game Simulations Where You Always “Win” Valuable Prizes
Requests for Personal Info Through Benign Surveys
Claims of Needing Credit Cards Strictly for Shipping, Handling or Processing Costs
Spelling Errors, Grammar Mistakes or Legal Wording Oversights
No legitimate corporation would solicit consumers randomly through third-party channels with hot ticket item giveaways in exchange for taking a few fun survey questions. That business model simply does not exist. Anytime financial details are explicitly required upfront to claim promised prizes or free gifts, scam alarms should sound.
Be vigilant, trust intuition, and refrain from inputting details onto shady websites regardless of messaging urgency or seeming security assurances. Financial harm may happen split-seconds after personal data changes hands with unscrupulous scammers masquerading as familiar brands. Simply put, if the offer appears too good to be possibly true – it always will be fraudulent.
This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute professional, financial or legal advice. The content is intended for general information and should not be construed as definitive guidance. Information contained herein is subject to change without notice. For concerns, please contact us via the provided form.
If you are the owner of the website or product in question and wish to offer clarifications regarding your business or website, please reach out to us through the provided Contact Form.
How to Stay Safe Online
Here are 10 basic security tips to help you avoid malware and protect your device:
Use a good antivirus and keep it up-to-date.
It's essential to use a good quality antivirus and keep it up-to-date to stay ahead of the latest cyber threats. We are huge fans of Malwarebytes Premium and use it on all of our devices, including Windows and Mac computers as well as our mobile devices. Malwarebytes sits beside your traditional antivirus, filling in any gaps in its defenses, and providing extra protection against sneakier security threats.
Keep software and operating systems up-to-date.
Keep your operating system and apps up to date. Whenever an update is released for your device, download and install it right away. These updates often include security fixes, vulnerability patches, and other necessary maintenance.
Be careful when installing programs and apps.
Pay close attention to installation screens and license agreements when installing software. Custom or advanced installation options will often disclose any third-party software that is also being installed. Take great care in every stage of the process and make sure you know what it is you're agreeing to before you click "Next."
Install an ad blocker.
Use a browser-based content blocker, like AdGuard. Content blockers help stop malicious ads, Trojans, phishing, and other undesirable content that an antivirus product alone may not stop.
Be careful what you download.
A top goal of cybercriminals is to trick you into downloading malware—programs or apps that carry malware or try to steal information. This malware can be disguised as an app: anything from a popular game to something that checks traffic or the weather.
Be alert for people trying to trick you.
Whether it's your email, phone, messenger, or other applications, always be alert and on guard for someone trying to trick you into clicking on links or replying to messages. Remember that it's easy to spoof phone numbers, so a familiar name or number doesn't make messages more trustworthy.
Back up your data.
Back up your data frequently and check that your backup data can be restored. You can do this manually on an external HDD/USB stick, or automatically using backup software. This is also the best way to counter ransomware. Never connect the backup drive to a computer if you suspect that the computer is infected with malware.
Choose strong passwords.
Use strong and unique passwords for each of your accounts. Avoid using personal information or easily guessable words in your passwords. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your accounts whenever possible.
Be careful where you click.
Be cautious when clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. These could potentially contain malware or phishing scams.
Don't use pirated software.
Avoid using Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file-sharing programs, keygens, cracks, and other pirated software that can often compromise your data, privacy, or both.
To avoid potential dangers on the internet, it's important to follow these 10 basic safety rules. By doing so, you can protect yourself from many of the unpleasant surprises that can arise when using the web.
Meet Thomas Orsolya
Thomas is an expert at uncovering scams and providing in-depth reporting on cyber threats and online fraud. As an editor, he is dedicated to keeping readers informed on the latest developments in cybersecurity and tech.
