Malwarebytes legacy lifetime keys being sold on Reddit via PayPal NCP - legit or scam?

[Yukinyan]

Hey guys, quick question regarding Malwarebytes legacy lifetime licenses. A reseller on Reddit (who claims to be authorized by the MBAM team and refers to u/mdotsherwood) is selling keys through a PayPal NCP link. Given MBAM's strict TOS on reselling, do you think this is a legit community reseller or a huge risk? Has anyone dealt with this kind of license transfer recently? Would love to hear your insights!"

 

[Moonhorse]

You can buy those keys legitly from sites like here
https://www.g2a.com/malwarebytes-an...bytes-anti-malware-key-global-i10000002956022

Buy Malwarebytes Premium 10 Years / 1 Device Malwarebytes CD Key | K4G.com

Buy Malwarebytes Premium 10 Years / 1 Device Malwarebytes CD Key (Key) – Malwarebytes, region: Global. From 14.99. Instant delivery. Safe & cheap at K4G.com.

k4g.com

No point to buy from random dude in reddit. I have seen lifetime licenses on dif sites too, but afaik these are only 10 year keys

 

[Zero Knowledge]

No it's not legit and neither is g2a but that's another story...

 

[Moonhorse]

No it's not legit and neither is g2a but that's another story...

I meant that the marketplace i said is legit, but sure its against malwarebytes TOS, that reselling lifetime licenses is against it. But worst thing that can happenn is they blacklist that license and you lose 10$

All third party sites like g2a, kinguin, k4g, etc. sell those antivirus licenses, but you really cant know how the license is gotten, is it bought with stolen credit card, or is it just someone that buy it legitly from antivirus vendor itself and is selling it legitly ( doubt that thought)

Its also ethical guestion should one grab cheap 6eur kaspersky license instead of paying 50 eur from kaspersky site, sadly i dont have credit card with banking option so its not possible for me to buy straight from kaspersky. So i have to buy from kinguin because they accept paysafecard.

 

[Zero Knowledge]

All third party sites like g2a, kinguin, k4g, etc. sell those antivirus licenses, but you really cant know how the license is gotten, is it bought with stolen credit card, or is it just someone that buy it legitly from antivirus vendor itself and is selling it legitly ( doubt that thought)

Yes you do know they are carded (probably) or hacked. The keys will work but who knows with those places.

I don't mind people buying from those places, money is tight and the economy is in the Do what works for you, just don't be naive where the keys come from.

 

[Moonhorse]

Yes you do know they are carded (probably) or hacked. The keys will work but who knows with those places.

I don't mind people buying from those places, money is tight and the economy is in the Do what works for you, just don't be naive where the keys come from.

Yeah, most of those marketplace things are carded / hacked as you said. But there is legit sellers too. And if one get blacklisted key they get refunded 100%. Its more safe to buy from kinguin as example because of the refund policy and its more trustable than some random guy in reddit.

And as i said i would buy from retailer, if it only accepted paysafecard but they wont.

I was thinking about this: are those 3rd party sites allowed to talk on MalwareTips at all, as theyre shady and on gray zone anyways. Should we only talk about trusted resellers, like serialcart etc. @Jack

 

[TairikuOkami]

I sense, that Malwarebytes life will cut short soon, then again the new owner will probably honor them or will offer a deal.

Do what works for you, just don't be naive where the keys come from.

As for the legality, that is up to people's morality, but as for the security, it is better to buy a key than to download a cracked version.

But worst thing that can happenn is they blacklist that license and you lose 10$

That depends, how people pay for the key, entering card details on a random page, you will get a cheap key and a stolen card. I only use paypal, it is worth the small fee.

 

[Digmor Crusher]

I don't think they have sold lifetime licenses since 2014 so very good chance its a scam. Your money, your choice.

 

[Jonny Quest]

From OP's opening post, "claims to be" is a big red flag, IMO.

 

[stonjean633]

MBAM is always free. No need to go for the lifetime license as it's not highly recommended for Realtime protection. That lifetime offer expired decades ago.

Windows Defender is technically lifetime.
Another option is K7 Infiniti - another lifetime protection.

 

[Digmor Crusher]

MBAM is always free. No need to go for the lifetime license as it's not highly recommended for Realtime protection. That lifetime offer expired decades ago.

Windows Defender is technically lifetime.
Another option is K7 Infiniti - another lifetime protection.

But you need a license for real time protection, the free version is just an on demand scanner.

 

[SpiderWeb]

I sense, that Malwarebytes life will cut short soon, then again the new owner will probably honor them or will offer a deal.

As for the legality, that is up to people's morality, but as for the security, it is better to buy a key than to download a cracked version.

That depends, how people pay for the key, entering card details on a random page, you will get a cheap key and a stolen card. I only use paypal, it is worth the small fee.

Malwarebytes got sold? Or is this referring to license owners?

 

[Jonny Quest]

But you need a license for real time protection, the free version is just an on demand scanner.

I took @stonjean633 reply and mentioning "is not highly recommended for Realtime protection" to imply the difference between the free version and paid? But, your post does make that distinction more clear

 

[stonjean633]

I feel that MBAM detections are on a lower tier than the rest of the well known AV.I would only suggest it as a complementary paired with an AV with good realtime protection.

 

[Digmor Crusher]

I feel that MBAM detections are on a lower tier than the rest of the well known AV.I would only suggest it as a complementary paired with an AV with good realtime protection.

It usually scores very well in most of the tests I've seen, however, I would not use it as a standalone AV but rather as a complimentary piece paired with an AV.

 

[stonjean633]

It usually scores very well in most of the tests I've seen, however, I would not use it as a standalone AV but rather as a complimentary piece paired with an AV.

I feel the same.
Defender + MBAM will be enough for OP.

 

[Yukinyan]

Thanks everyone for your replies!

I completely agree that buying from a stranger is a huge risk. However, since the seller insists that I can verify his legitimacy by asking the Reddit Malwarebytes staff (u/mdotsherwood), do you think I should at least send a message to the staff first to be absolutely sure?

To be honest, I’ve been scammed on eBay a few times before. They were mostly small amounts, but the biggest one happened earlier this year. I spent over $270 on a license, only to receive a handwritten product key that couldn’t even be bound to my account! Luckily, I filed a dispute with eBay and managed to get a full refund, but it definitely made me extra cautious.

I’ve always wanted to own a genuine, legitimate Malwarebytes lifetime license. Back when they were officially selling them, I had just undergone surgery and was recovering in the countryside, completely missing out on that era. It seemed like lifetime deals were everywhere back then—even my classmate bought a Windscribe VPN lifetime license (though who knows how much longer that will last).

Looking at the market today, subscription prices for some well-known VPNs have dropped significantly this year. It really makes me wonder how many of these providers will actually survive in the next few years.

That’s why I'm still clinging to the hope of finding a real MBAM lifetime key, but I definitely want to play it safe this time. Appreciate all your advice!

 

[Zero Knowledge]

paysafecard

Huge red flag since paysafecard are used for money laundering. It's becoming harder and more difficult to find anonymous payment options, more controls and regulations.

Even cypto is so highly controlled with KYC and similar controls it's almost impossible to pay anonymously. Long gone are the days of Liberty Reserve.

 

[Zero Knowledge]

That’s why I'm still clinging to the hope of finding a real MBAM lifetime key, but I definitely want to play it safe this time. Appreciate all your advice!

Let me see if I have one spare. I remember having two but I haven't activated them in 10 years.

I'll get back to you, if they are still work and not tied to email you can have one for free. I don't use MBAM anymore.

 

[Bill K]

For reference, I purchased a Malwarebytes lifetime license many years ago when they were available. When I tried to use it recently it would not recognize the license code since they apparently changed to a new format since my purchase. So I contacted their customer support who explained the change as well as the fact that many of those licenses have been resold making them illegitimate. They asked me to provide them with my old license code as well as a pic of my original packaged card or a copy of my purchase receipt. Once I provided them with a pic of the original license card they provided me with a new format code for a lifetime license which I was able to register in my account on their site and use it again. So if original owners are selling their license codes and you won't have valid documentation to support a legitimate purchase you will likely not be able to use the code. Hope this is a helpful caution for prospective buyers.