Do not trust fake "Norton Subscription Payment Has Failed" websites
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of scam is "Norton Subscription Payment Has Failed"?
"Norton Subscription Payment Has Failed" is a scam that our researchers found during a routine inspection of suspect websites. It warns users that their anti-virus subscription has expired and cannot be renewed.
It must be emphasized that these claims are false, and this scam is not associated with the actual Norton AntiVirus or any other legitimate entities.
"Norton Subscription Payment Has Failed" scam overview
This scam states that the visitor's payment for their Norton subscription has failed. The page lists the expiration date for the service and urges the user to update their payment information to restore the protection. The subscription is offered with a 50% discount.
As mentioned in the introduction, this information is false and will be displayed regardless of whether the website's visitor has ever used Norton. It must be stressed that this scam is in no way associated with the Norton AntiVirus or its developer – Gen Digital Inc.
At the time of research, this scam redirected to the official Norton website. Thus, scammers abuse the affiliate program of the promoted product/service in order to acquire illegitimate commissions.
Keep in mind that there are no guarantees that redirects will continue to lead to a legitimate site. Instead, users may land on convincing imitator pages or phishing websites.
Additionally, scams like "Norton Subscription Payment Has Failed" are often used to endorse untrustworthy and possibly malicious software like fake anti-viruses, browser hijackers, adware, PUAs (Potentially Unwanted Applications), trojans, ransomware, etc.
To summarize, victims of scams like "Norton Subscription Payment Has Failed" can experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.
| Name | "Norton Subscription Payment Has Failed" pop-up |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Payment for the anti-virus subscription has failed. |
| Disguise | Norton |
| Related Domains | dingaber[.]xyz |
| Detection Names (dingaber[.]xyz) | CRDF (Malicious), ESET (Malware), Seclookup (Malicious), CyRadar (Suspicious), Forcepoint ThreatSeeker (Suspicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address dingaber[.]xyz | 45.141.156.249 |
| 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. |
Similar scam examples
We have inspected numerous online scams; "WARNING: Antivirus Protection EXPIRED!", "McAfee - Subscription Payment Failed", and "TotalAV - Card Payment Has Failed!" are just a few examples of ones similar to "Norton Subscription Payment Has Failed".
The Internet is full of them, and while they differ in appearance and modus operandi, the end goal is the same – to generate revenue at victims' expense. Prevalent themes include subscriptions, system infections, software updates, product/service promotions, giveaways, lotteries, shipping issues, etc.
Due to how widespread scams are on the Web and how well-made they can be – we strongly advise vigilance when browsing.
How did I open a scam website?
Websites that host scams are primarily accessed via redirects caused by webpages using rogue advertising networks, intrusive ads (malvertising), spam (e.g., browser notifications, emails, PMs/DMs, social media/ forum posts, SMSes, etc.), misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.
How to avoid visiting scam websites?
Caution is essential to online safety. Therefore, be wary of websites, ads, and messages making promises that sound too good to be true. Pay attention to URLs and type them carefully. Do not use sites offering pirated content or other questionable services (e.g., illegal streaming or downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages usually employ rogue advertising networks.
Do not enable dubious pages to deliver browser notifications; instead, ignore or deny such requests (i.e., click "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.). Approach incoming emails and other messages with care; do not open attachments or links present in suspicious mail.
Download from official/verified channels and be vigilant when installing (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/dangerous software 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 "Norton Subscription Payment Has Failed" scam pop-up:
Norton subscription payment has failed!
Attention: your antivirus subscription of Norton AntiVirus has expired on January 28.
Please update your payment details to restore protection immediately.
As a returning customer, you are eligible for a discount: 50% OFF
Restore protection
Unprotected PCs are 93% more vulnerable to suffer from malware.
Windows | macOS | Android | iOS
The appearance of "Norton Subscription Payment Has 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:
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Quick menu:
- What is "Norton Subscription Payment Has 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 a type of content that aims to trick users into performing certain actions. For example, victims can be deceived into subscribing to services, purchasing products, sending money to scammers, disclosing vulnerable data, downloading/installing software, calling fake helplines, allowing cyber criminals to access devices remotely, etc.
What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?
Pop-up scams are designed to generate revenue for scammers. Profit can be made by promoting content (e.g., websites, software, products, services, etc.), obtaining funds through deception, abusing/selling private data, and proliferating malware.
Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?
Prevalent promotional techniques include: websites using rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, social media posts, browser notifications, etc.), malvertising (intrusive ads), typosquatting (mistyped URLs), and adware.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?
Combo Cleaner is designed to scan visited webpages and detect deceptive/malicious content. It can also restrict all further access to websites hosting such content.
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