Yesterday I received a suspicious email purporting to be from McAfee claiming that my Auto-Renewal has been disabled. The reasons I think it is suspicious are fourfold:
1. Bad use of English
2. From mcafeerenewal.com and not mcafee.com
3. The HTML and text content differ widely
4. My subscription is at least 18 months off renewal
I am concerned primarily because the text portion of the email refers to me by name, though there is nothing which would link directly to my McAfee account, such as product names of reference numbers.
I would like to know if others have received similar emails, whether this is fake or genuine, and if fake, whether some form of data breach has occurred.
See below for email content.
Many thanks,
R.
HTML Version:
-----8<-----
Dear McAfee Subscriber,
Auto-Renewal for McAfee subscription has been disabled, we will not renew subscription and will not charge credit card automatically.
Upon expiration date, your device(s) won’t be protected from dangerous online threats especially active scammers using replica websites.
We encourage you to renew NOW from authorized McAfee Renewal. It’s more than just antivirus software – it’s PEACE OF MIND
We are glad to inform that you are selected with our best deal for limited period ONLY, wherein you can get:
24 months of free subscription with 4-Year McAfee Renewal, 18 months of free subscription with 3-Year McAfee Renewal,
10 months of free subscription with 2-Year McAfee Renewal, or 4 months of free subscription with 1-Year McAfee Renewal.
For more details, please click the link > McAfee Renewal Center (link to livechatinc.com)
Thank you for choosing McAfee®
Regards,
McAfee® Renewal Support!
-----8<-----
Text Version:
-----8<-----
Dear <my full name>! This is to inform you that Automatic Renewal service for your McAfee subscription has been disabled. As such, McAfee will not automatically renew your subscription and will not charge your credit card. At expiration your computer may be vulnerable to dangerous online threats unless you renew McAfee subscription. Hence you are requested to purchase the McAfee Renewal from McAfee Renewal Center. We are glad to inform you that you have been nominated for McAfee Renewal Offer. With this limited offer you are eligible to get 6 months of free subscription with 2-Year McAfee Renewal and 2 months of free subscription with 1-Year McAfee Renewal. To renew or extend your McAfee subscription with the McAfee Renewal Offer please reply to this email with the code 'MRO1Y2M' for 1-Year Renewal or 'MRO2Y6M' for 2-Years Renewal. You can also reply to this email by clicking on the link given below. You will be contacted soon with more details. McAfee Renewal Center Regards, McAfee Renewal Support Thank you for choosing McAfee
-----8<-----
Solved! Go to Solution.
Hello @Robert_T
Please do not click any links present on the e-mail. If you want to clarify your renewal date or any other queries related to your McAfee account or subscription and also regarding the renewal e-mail you've received, you can always reach out our Support.
They will let you know if the e-mail is legit and also more than happy to assist you further.
If you require technical assistance with McAfee products, you can reach our Support or Community. Your queries or issues will be addressed.
We request you to always update McAfee or ensure you have the Auto Updates turned On in your McAfee console. Run a Full scan frequently or schedule a scan according to your convenience. Also ensure your Operating System is up to date. Think before you click any Ads or links on the browsers. Check if there are any unwanted or unknown extensions added to the browser and remove them. These security measures will keep you safe on your computer.
Please let us know if you require any further assistance.
Regards,
Madhan M
Hello @Robert_T
Please do not click any links present on the e-mail. If you want to clarify your renewal date or any other queries related to your McAfee account or subscription and also regarding the renewal e-mail you've received, you can always reach out our Support.
They will let you know if the e-mail is legit and also more than happy to assist you further.
If you require technical assistance with McAfee products, you can reach our Support or Community. Your queries or issues will be addressed.
We request you to always update McAfee or ensure you have the Auto Updates turned On in your McAfee console. Run a Full scan frequently or schedule a scan according to your convenience. Also ensure your Operating System is up to date. Think before you click any Ads or links on the browsers. Check if there are any unwanted or unknown extensions added to the browser and remove them. These security measures will keep you safe on your computer.
Please let us know if you require any further assistance.
Regards,
Madhan M
I must have had at least 30 emails over the last few days I am getting about 6 per day saying my subscription has ended or is going to end. Do you know if there is a fraud squad/investigation team we can send the emails to so they can possibly be traced. I had the same sort of emails from Norton and I do not have nor ever had Norton and they asked me to send them the emails to their investigation team and eventually they did stop. Thank you
I don't suppose there is an answer to this is there? I just received 2 emails in the span of 3 hours trying to tell me my account is expired. I know they're fake because my McAfee account has been expired for about 10 years now as well as the usual identifiers with these types of emails. I just want to if there is a team I can forward them to for investigation or something.
This was what I was looking for. Is it what you meant by answer? report at phishing.gov.uk email address. I have a pretty obnoxious email to forward to them. ~TBF
Report a phishing attempt | Action Fraud
Have you spotted a suspicious email?
If you have received an email which you’re not quite sure about, forward it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS): report at phishing.gov.uk
New to the forums or need help finding your way around the forums? There's a whole hub of community resources to help you.
Thousands of customers use the McAfee Community for peer-to-peer and expert product support. Enjoy these benefits with a free membership: