The internet can be a dangerous place, and one of the most common online threats comes in the form of phishing emails designed to steal your personal information. Recently, a new scam has emerged involving fake renewal and cancellation emails allegedly from McAfee.
This detailed guide will provide an in-depth look at how the McAfee cancellation request email scam works, how to identify these malicious emails, and most importantly, what you should do if you receive one or already fell victim.
Overview of the McAfee Cancellation Request Scam
The McAfee cancellation request scam starts with an email claiming to be from McAfee regarding an automatic subscription renewal. The email will include fake invoices with made up details like a subscription ID, renewal date, and amount due.
Here is how the scam email might look
Dear Valued Customer,
This is a notice that your McAfee subscription is about to expire. According to our records, your account will be automatically renewed in the next 12 hours for another year at the current subscription rate of $99.99.
Payment Method: Visa ending in 1234 License Quantity: 5 Validity: 1 year
If you did not authorize this purchase, please contact our billing department immediately at [phone number] to cancel the auto-renewal. If no action is taken, the subscription amount will be automatically deducted from your bank account within the next 12 hours.
To avoid any service interruption, we recommend calling our toll-free number as soon as possible to cancel this transaction. We appreciate your business and hope you choose to renew your McAfee protection plan.
Thank you, The McAfee Billing Team
The goal is to make victims believe they are being charged for a McAfee subscription without consent. The email urges the recipient to call a provided toll-free number to cancel the unauthorized renewal and avoid being charged.
However, the reality is that the email is not from McAfee at all. It is a scam designed to steal money and personal information from unsuspecting victims.
The toll-free numbers in these fake McAfee emails lead to fraudulent “tech support” call centers. When victims call, scammers pose as McAfee support technicians and use social engineering tactics to gain remote access to the victim’s computer.
Once connected remotely, the scammers can install malware, steal sensitive data, and ultimately demand payment to “fix” nonexistent issues discovered on the victim’s computer.
How the McAfee Cancellation Request Scam Works
The McAfee cancellation request scam is quite sophisticated and designed to take advantage of unsuspecting victims. Here is a step-by-step look at how this scam typically operates:
Step 1: Victims Receive a Phishing Email
The scam starts with an email sent to the victim’s inbox. The sender address is spoofed to appear as if it is from McAfee. The email will include the McAfee logo and corporate branding to add legitimacy.
The subject line often says something like “Cancellation Request for Your McAfee Subscription” or “Your McAfee Subscription Renewal Receipt”.
The email body contains a message urging the recipient to call a toll-free number to cancel an unauthorized auto-renewal of their McAfee subscription. Details like the renewal date, invoice number, subscription ID, and amount charged are included to sound official.
Of course, the renewal and billing information is completely fabricated with the intent to deceive.
Step 2: Victims Call the Fake Support Number
When a victim calls the toll-free number provided in the phishing email, the call is routed to a fraudulent “tech support” center. These scammers operate boiler room call centers designed to impersonate legitimate companies like McAfee.
The scammers who answer the phone falsely claim to be affiliated with McAfee and tech support. Their goal is to gain the trust of the caller and set up a fake problem with their computer that needs fixing.
Step 3: Scammers Instruct Victims to Allow Remote Access
Once on the phone with a victim, the scammers pretend to look up the supposed auto-renewal in question. They will confirm that there does appear to be an unauthorized McAfee subscription linked to the victim’s name and computer.
The scammers then instruct the victim that they will need remote access to the computer to cancel the fake subscription and reverse any bogus charges. This is a key step in the scam, as remote access allows the criminals to take full control of the device.
Popular remote access tools used in these scams include AnyDesk, TeamViewer, UltraVNC, and LogMeIn. The scammers convince victims to download the software and provide the scammer with the ID code to connect.
Step 4: Criminals Trick Victims into Paying for Fake Services
With remote access to the victim’s computer, the criminals can now deploy their endgame: extorting money from the victim.
They will pretend to run diagnosis tests and scans that inevitably discover serious issues like viruses, malware, or hacking attempts. Of course, none of this is real, but it provides the scammers an opportunity to demand payment to repair the fake problems.
Common tactics include:
Pretending to discover malware or ransomware and charging a fee to remove it
Claiming the victim’s data is at risk and must be backed up for a price
Scaring the victim into paying for unnecessary anti-virus software
Getting the victim to pay recurring fake support or warranty fees
The scammers often direct victims to purchase gift cards from places like Amazon or iTunes and read the redemption code over the phone. This allows the criminals to quickly get cash value while remaining anonymous.
Step 5: Criminals Steal Personal Information and Money
Beyond demanding direct payments for fake services, the scammers use their remote access to steal personal information and money from the victim’s computer.
With full control over the device, the criminals can:
Access and download sensitive files like tax returns and financial statements
Install keylogger malware to record passwords and banking logins
Use access to bank websites to transfer funds out of accounts
Get into email accounts to compromise other online accounts or exploit contacts
Hold files for ransom by encrypting data and demanding a decryption fee
Ultimately, the scammers leverage the remote access to not only charge victims for bogus services, but also secretly steal personal information, financial account access, and anything else of value.
What to Do If You Receive a Fake McAfee Cancellation Email
If you receive an email claiming to be from McAfee about an unauthorized subscription renewal, do not call the phone number provided. Here are the steps you should take:
Forward the suspicious email to spam@uce.mcafee.com. This allows McAfee to review the phishing attempt and strengthen email security protocols.
Report the scam email to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The more scam emails reported, the better chances of catching the criminals.
Delete the scam email immediately without opening any links or attachments. The email itself can contain malware.
Run a scan using legitimate antivirus software like real McAfee or Malwarebytes to check for viruses or other malware just in case.
Change passwords on all online accounts, especially email, financial, and ecommerce sites. Reused passwords can give scammers access if they phish login credentials. Enable two-factor authentication wherever possible for extra protection.
Contact your bank and financial institutions if you provided any sensitive information over the phone to the scammers that could compromise your accounts. They may help protect your assets.
Learn how to identify phishing emails by looking for warning signs like grammatical errors, suspicious links, false urgency, request for sensitive information, spoofed sender addresses, and threats regarding your accounts.
What to Do If You Already Fell Victim to the Scam
If you already called the phone number in one of these fake McAfee emails and fell victim to the support scam, remain calm and take these steps immediately:
If you paid any amount via gift cards, contact the merchant support line to report fraudulent activity and request a refund. Provide any relevant gift card numbers and transaction details.
Call your bank and financial institutions to freeze accounts compromised by the scammers. Monitor closely for fraudulent activity and work with your bank’s fraud department to dispute unauthorized transactions or transfers.
Change online account passwords a second time if accessed by the scammers. Enable enhanced security options like multi-factor authentication. Remove any unauthorized linked accounts added by criminals.
Perform a factory reset on your computer to wipe it clean and remove any malware installed remotely. Reinstall your operating system for a clean slate protected by a new password. Restore personal data only from a known, trusted backup.
Cancel any recurring payments or services tricked into during the scam. Notify your credit card provider of the fraudulent charges for assistance with disputes. Freeze accounts if identity theft is suspected.
File detailed police reports regarding the technical support scam both locally and with federal authorities. Provide any information collected like phone numbers called, gift card details, or email addresses used by the scammers. This creates an official case should the criminals ever be caught.
Be vigilant about checking financial statements, credit reports, and account activity moving forward. Extended fraud monitoring services are a good idea after a scam compromises your personal information and computer access.
Is Your Device Infected? Scan for Malware
If your computer or phone is slow, showing unwanted pop-ups, or acting strangely, malware could be the cause. Running a scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free is one of the most reliable ways to detect and remove harmful software. The free version can identify and clean common infections such as adware, browser hijackers, trojans, and other unwanted programs.
Malwarebytes works on Windows, Mac, and Android devices. Choose your operating system below and follow the steps to scan your device and remove any malware that might be slowing it down.
Malwarebytes for WindowsMalwarebytes for MacMalwarebytes for Android
Run a Malware Scan with Malwarebytes for Windows
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
Download the latest version of Malwarebytes for Windows using the official link below. Malwarebytes will scan your computer and remove adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious software for free.
(The above link will open a new page from where you can download Malwarebytes)
Install Malwarebytes
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.
Once the scan completes, remove all detected threats. Your Windows computer should now be clean and running smoothly again, free of trojans, adware, 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:
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.
After scanning, delete any detected threats. Your Mac should now be free from adware, unwanted extensions, and other potentially harmful software.
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.
Run a Malware Scan with Malwarebytes for Android
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.
When the scan is finished, remove all detected threats. Your Android phone should now be free of malicious apps, adware, and unwanted browser redirects.
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.
After cleaning your device, it’s important to protect it from future infections and annoying pop-ups. We recommend installing an ad blocker such as AdGuard. AdGuard blocks malicious ads, prevents phishing attempts, and stops dangerous redirects, helping you stay safe while browsing online.
FAQ on the McAfee Cancellation Request Email Scam
What is the McAfee Cancellation Request Email Scam?
This is a phishing scam where recipients receive an email claiming to be from McAfee stating that their subscription is expiring. The email urges the recipient to call a phone number to cancel an unauthorized auto-renewal. However, the email is fake and the number leads to a fraudulent “tech support” center.
How does the McAfee cancellation email scam work?
The scam starts with an email pretending to come from McAfee. It includes fake subscription details and a number to call. When victims call this number, they reach scammers posing as McAfee support. The scammers gain remote access to the victim’s computer and then use various tactics to steal money or data.
What are signs the email is a scam?
Warning signs include grammatical errors, urgency to call the number, threats about your account, spoofed sender addresses, or requests for sensitive information. Legitimate businesses don’t ask customers to call about account issues.
What should I do if I get a suspicious McAfee email?
Do not call the number in the email. Forward the scam email to spam@uce.mcafee.com to report it. Delete the email and scan your device for malware. Also change account passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and monitor financial statements.
What if I already called the number and got scammed?
If you provided gift card numbers, contact the merchant to request a refund. Freeze accounts accessed during the scam and monitor credit reports. Perform a factory reset on your device to remove any malware installed. Cancel any fraudulent payments or services. File police reports regarding the scam.
How can I avoid this scam in the future?
Be wary of any email requesting you to call a number regarding an account issue. Verify the sender address is legitimate. Keep software updated and use strong, unique passwords for all accounts. Learn to identify phishing techniques like urgency, threats, spoofed addresses, etc.
The Bottom Line
The McAfee cancellation request email scam preys upon innocent victims by impersonating a trusted software security company. If you receive a suspicious email regarding an unauthorized McAfee subscription renewal, do not call the provided number or click any links.
These scams can lead to stolen money, compromised accounts, and even malware or ransomware. But by understanding common phishing techniques and acting quickly if scammed, you can limit the damage and avoid becoming an easy target in the future.
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.
