New antivirus scam email spreading — Don’t click!

Although it seems unexpected, antivirus software can propagate viruses. For more on how this virus can use the motion sensors on your phone to listen in on your calls, tap or click here.

Scams involving phishing are all too often. It’s possible that you receive a receipt for antivirus software that you didn’t purchase or that a marketing email seems official but really directs you to a fake page where your credit card information is being collected.

Continue reading to find out more about how one variation of this con operates and what you can do to avoid falling victim to it.

If you get this email, ignore it

It doesn’t necessarily guarantee that an email is authentic just because it has the name of a well-known firm. Scammers frequently deceive potential victims by using the branding, logos, or colours of businesses or services.

The most recent fraud uses a phishing email that accurately mimics McAfee’s colour design and logo. It appears to be a promotional email about computer security. But there’s a huge red flag here: A lengthy and peculiar string of characters makes up the sender address.You are prompted to open the email by the confirmation number in the subject line. Upon doing so, you could reflect, “Hmm, I do need antivirus software.” But there is no official website listed at the end of the connection.

The link may send you to a website where you must confirm the card information used in a transaction in certain iterations of this scam. This will just be used to gather your financial details, after which the thieves will steal your money.

Before even opening one of these communications that one of our Komando.com writers received in her email, she saw the warning signs:

The corporate name is McAfee with a capital “A,” and the sender’s name was “Mcafee.”
The email address didn’t even contain the sender’s name; it was just a series of random numbers and characters.

business name According to McAfee, it will only send you emails using the @mcafee.com address.
The email’s contents are posted below. The sentence “If your computer is unprotected, it is at danger for viruses and other malware” has a typo. McAfee has already been utilised in this scam. Many consumers experienced rogue pop-up windows in their browsers around the end of last year, which claimed the antivirus membership had expired. The “renew subscription” link recorded financial and personal data.

What you can do about it

McAfee claims that fraudsters frequently target the firm and that you may report such behaviour on a special instructional website. If you don’t have a McAfee account, deleting the email is an excellent place to start if you want to be secure.

If you are already a customer, you could consider the email seriously. McAfee advises not to simply believe such an email and to constantly verify the status of your membership on the official website.

Here is how to go about it:

Navigate to my.mcafee.com.
Towards the upper right, click Login.
Click Log In after entering your registered email address and password.
Then click Account, and last click Subscriptions.

Always be on the lookout for any strange behaviour on your banking statements. There is always a chance that a fraudster used your information and bank account to lawfully renew a McAfee subscription.

Here are some additional recommendations for avoiding these kinds of scams:

Protect your information – Never divulge personal information to a text or email sender you don’t recognise or whose identity you can’t confirm.
Any communication that exhorts you to “act immediately!” or leaves you feeling hurried and uneasy is a warning sign. That is just how the con artists want you to feel.

Avoid clicking on links and attachments – Never open any attachments or links that you get in unsolicited emails. They could be harmful and use malware to infect your device or steal confidential data.
A reliable antivirus application should always be operating and updated on all of your devices. We endorse TotalAV, our sponsor. You may currently get a TotalAV yearly package at ProtectWithKim.com for for $19. That is more than 85% off the list price!

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