Avoid getting scammed by fake "McAfee - Subscription Payment Failed" sites

What kind of scam is "McAfee - Subscription Payment Failed"?

While browsing dubious websites, our researchers discovered the "McAfee - Subscription Payment Failed" scam. It falsely claims that the webpage visitor's anti-virus subscription expired. Renewal failed due to their card being declined.

It must be emphasized that this scheme is not associated with the actual McAfee anti-virus software or its developer – McAfee Corp.

"McAfee - Subscription Payment Failed" scam overview

This scam states that the user's subscription payment failed. It lists the date that the McAfee anti-virus expired. Automated renewal did not occur because the user's card was declined. The scheme requests them to update their payment information to reactivate protection.

As mentioned in the introduction, the claims made by this scam are false and would be made regardless of whether users have or have ever had a McAfee subscription. It must be reiterated that this scheme is in no way associated with the real McAfee or any other legitimate products or entities.

At the time of research, pressing the "Update payment details" button presented by this scam resulted in a redirect to the official payment page of the McAfee website. This scheme abuses said company's affiliate programs, thereby allowing scammers to claim illegitimate commissions for the promotion.

However, there are no guarantees that the "McAfee - Subscription Payment Failed" scam will continue redirecting to the legitimate McAfee site. Instead, it could lead users to phishing websites masquerading as payment pages, which would record the credit/debit card information entered into them.

Alternatively, it could redirect to well-disguised webpages hosting unwanted/harmful software or malware (e.g., fake anti-virus tools, adware, browser hijackers, potentially unwanted applications, trojans, ransomware, etc.) under the guise of the McAfee anti-virus.

To summarize, victims of scams like "McAfee - Subscription Payment Failed" may experience system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	"McAfee - Subscription Payment Failed" pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Subscription payment failed due to a declined card.
Disguise	McAfee
Related Domains	onlinesafetycontrol[.]com
Detection Names (onlinesafetycontrol[.]com)	CRDF (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (onlinesafetycontrol[.]com)	104.21.45.83
Symptoms	Fake error messages, fake system warnings, pop-up errors, hoax computer scan.
Distribution methods	Compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft, possible malware infections.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Similar scam examples

The Internet is rife with deceptive and malicious content. We have investigated countless scams that use lures similar to "McAfee - Subscription Payment Failed"; "TotalAV - Card Payment Has Failed!", "Activate Your McAfee Antivirus License", "Error Retrieving Information From Bank", and "CCLEANER AntiVirus License Has Expired" are just a few examples.

However, various false claims are employed to gain victims' trust – such as detected system infections, outdated programs, product promotions, package shipping mishaps, giveaways, lotteries, and so on.

Online scams are often full of mistakes, but they can be competently made and even believably disguised as content associated with legitimate entities (e.g., companies, service providers, organizations, institutions, authorities, etc.).

How did I open a scam website?

Online scams are primarily promoted via websites utilizing rogue advertising networks, intrusive ads (malvertising), spam (e.g., emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, browser notifications, social media posts, etc.), mistyped URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

We highly recommend exercising caution while browsing. Pay attention to URLs and type them carefully. Be wary of adverts, and do not trust offers that sound too good to be true. Do not allow suspect pages to deliver browser notifications; instead, ignore or deny such requests (i.e., press "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

Do not visit/use websites offering pirated content or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages typically employ rogue advertising networks. Be vigilant with incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments or links found in suspicious/irrelevant mail.

Download only from official/verified channels and approach installations with care (e.g., read terms, study options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/dangerous software (like adware) from infiltrating the system.

If your computer is already infected, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate all threats.

Text presented in "McAfee - Subscription Payment Failed" pop-up:

McAfee

Subscription payment failed

Your subscription of McAfee Antivirus expired on July 17, 2024.

We tried to renew your subscription but your card was declined.

Update your payment details now to reactivate protection.

Your computer is unprotected, it is exposed to viruses and malware

[Update payment details]

The appearance of "McAfee - Subscription Payment Failed" pop-up scam (GIF):

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is "McAfee - Subscription Payment Failed" pop-up?
• How to identify a pop-up scam?
• How do pop-up scams work?
• How to remove fake pop-ups?
• How to prevent fake pop-ups?
• What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

How to identify a pop-up scam?

Pop-up windows with various fake messages are a common type of lures cybercriminals use. They collect sensitive personal data, trick Internet users into calling fake tech support numbers, subscribe to useless online services, invest in shady cryptocurrency schemes, etc.

While in the majority of cases these pop-ups don't infect users' devices with malware, they can cause direct monetary loss or could result in identity theft.

Cybercriminals strive to create their rogue pop-up windows to look trustworthy, however, scams typically have the following characteristics:

• Spelling mistakes and non-professional images - Closely inspect the information displayed in a pop-up. Spelling mistakes and unprofessional images could be a sign of a scam.
• Sense of urgency - Countdown timer with a couple of minutes on it, asking you to enter your personal information or subscribe to some online service.
• Statements that you won something - If you haven't participated in a lottery, online competition, etc., and you see a pop-up window stating that you won.
• Computer or mobile device scan - A pop-up window that scans your device and informs of detected issues - is undoubtedly a scam; webpages cannot perform such actions.
• Exclusivity - Pop-up windows stating that only you are given secret access to a financial scheme that can quickly make you rich.

Example of a pop-up scam:

How do pop-up scams work?

Cybercriminals and deceptive marketers usually use various advertising networks, search engine poisoning techniques, and shady websites to generate traffic to their pop-ups. Users land on their online lures after clicking on fake download buttons, using a torrent website, or simply clicking on an Internet search engine result.

Based on users' location and device information, they are presented with a scam pop-up. Lures presented in such pop-ups range from get-rich-quick schemes to fake virus scans.

How to remove fake pop-ups?

In most cases, pop-up scams do not infect users' devices with malware. If you encountered a scam pop-up, simply closing it should be enough. In some cases scam, pop-ups may be hard to close; in such cases - close your Internet browser and restart it.

In extremely rare cases, you might need to reset your Internet browser. For this, use our instructions explaining how to reset Internet browser settings.

How to prevent fake pop-ups?

To prevent seeing pop-up scams, you should visit only reputable websites. Torrent, Crack, free online movie streaming, YouTube video download, and other websites of similar reputation commonly redirect Internet users to pop-up scams.

To minimize the risk of encountering pop-up scams, you should keep your Internet browsers up-to-date and use reputable anti-malware application. For this purpose, we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.

What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

This depends on the type of scam that you fell for. Most commonly, pop-up scams try to trick users into sending money, giving away personal information, or giving access to one's device.

• If you sent money to scammers: You should contact your financial institution and explain that you were scammed. If informed promptly, there's a chance to get your money back.
• If you gave away your personal information: You should change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication in all online services that you use. Visit Federal Trade Commission to report identity theft and get personalized recovery steps.
• If you let scammers connect to your device: You should scan your computer with reputable anti-malware (we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows) - cyber criminals could have planted trojans, keyloggers, and other malware, don't use your computer until removing possible threats.
• Help other Internet users: report Internet scams to Federal Trade Commission.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a pop-up scam?

Pop-up scams are deceptive messages (commonly promoted on the Web) that aim to lure users into carrying out specific actions. For example, victims may be tricked into purchasing products, subscribing to services, downloading/installing software, disclosing sensitive information, sending money to scammers, calling fake helplines, allowing cyber criminals to access devices remotely, and so forth.

What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?

Pop-up scams aim to generate revenue for scammers. Cyber criminals predominantly profit by promoting content (e.g., websites, products, services, etc.), abusing/selling vulnerable data, obtaining money through deception, and spreading malware.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by a scam, what should I do?

If you have provided your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all potentially compromised accounts and inform that support. And if the disclosed information was of a different personal nature (e.g., credit card numbers, ID card details, passport photos/scans, etc.) – contact the appropriate authorities without delay.

Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?

Pop-up scams are widely endorsed via websites employing rogue advertising networks, intrusive advertisements, misspelled URLs, spam (e.g., emails, SMSes, DMs/PMs, social media/ forum posts, spam browser notifications, etc.), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan every single website that you visit for deceptive/malicious content. Therefore, should you happen upon such a webpage – you will be warned immediately, and Combo Cleaner will block all further access to the site.

▼ Show Discussion