Amanda KristolLike other well-known antivirus products, McAfee is a target for identity theft criminals. The following list includes some of the most typical McAfee frauds that small business owners need to be aware of:
1. McAfee Phishing Scam
One of the most popular scams is the use of phishing emails. In this phishing scheme, a con artist posing as a respectable business sends false email messages. They send phishing emails to you in an effort to get your personal information or money by getting you to click on dubious links that take you to a fake company website.
2. McAfee Pop-Up Scams
Fake pop-ups with McAfee logos are another prevalent fraud. When you click on one of these pop-ups, a virus or other malicious software is typically installed, which might infect your computer. Therefore, even if a pop-up on your computer purports to be from a respected organisation like McAfee, you should exercise extreme caution.
3. McAfee Scam Emails
Another method thieves use to get your personal information from you is through scam emails. These fraudulent emails frequently include offers or promotions that appear genuine but are actually too good to be true. So, when you receive emails purporting to be from McAfee, proceed with extreme caution.
4. McAfee Renewal Scam
When con artists get in touch with you and attempt to deceive you into renewing your McAfee membership, this is known as a renewal scam. They accomplish this by proposing a special deal or a reduction on the renewal fee and submitting fake invoices. If you provide them with your login or credit card details, they will in fact charge you considerably more than what was initially agreed upon.
5. McAfee Antivirus Plus Scam
For this trick, con artists will get in touch with you and offer to sell you a phoney copy of McAfee’s Antivirus Plus software. They might even provide you a link to the program’s download. This software, however, is a virus that can harm your computer.
6. McAfee Tech Support Scam
First off, McAfee technical support will never call you without first receiving a call from you. Therefore, it’s a scam if you receive a call from someone identifying themselves as McAfee Technical Support. These con artists attempt to fool you into granting them remote access to your computer so they can steal confidential data or install viruses.
7. McAfee Fake Virus Scan Scam
Scammers pretend to run a virus scan on your computer in order to infect it with a virus. Then they’ll try to sell you a phoney antivirus programme to get rid of the said virus and stop your PC from becoming “infected.”
8. McAfee Free Trial Scam
The McAfee free trial is when con artists give you a free trial of their phoney antivirus application. The entire cost of the product, which is typically significantly higher than what you would spend for an authentic antivirus application, will be charged to you after the trial period has ended.
How to Avoid a Scam
Although McAfee antivirus software is a well-liked option for computer security, scammers are now deceiving customers by utilising the McAfee name. Here are five suggestions for preventing phishing attacks that use the McAfee name and safeguarding your bank account:
• Before clicking, please double-check the URL. Cybercriminals frequently develop phoney websites that impersonate real businesses in order to phish for your personal data. Check the URL of each link before clicking it.
• Grammatical mistakes A fraudulent website can also be identified by looking for grammatical faults. Since many con artists are not native English speakers, their grammar may be flawed.
• The address of the sender. Watch out for emails originating from free email providers like Yahoo or Gmail. Instead, these are frauds.
• Click on links. Hover your mouse over a link in an email before clicking it to see where it will take you. Don’t click on a URL if it seems fishy.
• Dial the business. Call the business to confirm if an email or website is real if you are unsure. Use the contact information on the company’s website rather than the email instead.
Where do you report These scams?
•You can report a McAfee fraud to the Federal Trade Commission if you were the victim of one (FTC). If you lost money or personal information as a result of the scam, you can also report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Last but not least, you can file a complaint with McAfee’s Anti-Spam Abuse Department.
Can You Get Your Money Back From a Scam?
If you believe that a fraudulent McAfee website has taken advantage of you, you may be able to get your money back. If you used a credit card to make the purchase, you can dispute the charges by contacting your credit card provider. They need to know the transaction date, the business name, and the total cost. It is unlikely that you would be able to get your money back if you paid by bank transfer. The IC3 is the place to go if you want to report a fraud, but they can only assist if the con artist is situated in the US.