Subscription Scams: How to Spot and Stop Them
Subscription scams have evolved past the obvious 'free iPad' trial. Today's versions use look-alike merchant names, fake renewal emails, and continuity billing tricks that survive even a card replacement.
Continuity fraud
You buy one product. Buried in the fine print, you agreed to a monthly 'membership'. Now you're being billed $39 every 30 days for something you never knowingly signed up for.
Fake renewal emails
An email claims your Norton/McAfee/Apple subscription is renewing for $399. Call the 'support' number and they remote into your computer. Never call numbers in unsolicited renewal emails.
Look-alike merchant names
'NETFLIX*PREMIUM' might not be Netflix. Scammers register merchant accounts with names designed to slip past your statement review.
Card-on-file abuse
When you replace your card, some networks auto-update the new card number with merchants. Scam subscriptions survive the card change.
The fix
Run a Subscription Shield scan monthly. Any unrecognised recurring merchant gets flagged. Dispute via your bank as 'unauthorised recurring transaction'.
The bottom line
Subscription Shield flags unknown recurring merchants and tells you exactly how to dispute and cancel each one.