Email · Scam library
Norton or McAfee renewal email scam: how to spot it and what to do
Arrives by: Email, Text message
Is it a scam?
An email saying your Norton or McAfee antivirus plan just auto-renewed for hundreds of dollars, and that you must call to cancel, is usually a scam. The FTC lists Norton and McAfee among the names scammers use on fake renewal notices. Don't call. Sign in to your real Norton or McAfee account yourself, or check your card statement.
How the scam works.
The email borrows a name you trust, like Norton or McAfee, and a product that sounds real, like "Norton 360" or "Total Protection."
It says your plan renewed automatically and names a big charge, so you feel you must act fast.
It gives a "cancellation" phone number and a 24-hour refund window.
On the call, the scammer asks for remote access and your bank details to process a refund, then claims they over-refunded you and asks for the difference back.
Red flags to look for.
Illustrative example · Email
From NortonLifeLock Renewals <[email protected]>
Your Norton 360 Deluxe Subscription Has Been Auto-Renewed
Written from the patterns official sources describe. Phone numbers and web addresses in it are fake.
You don't use Norton or McAfee, or you didn't buy the plan named.
The sender's address is not norton.com or mcafee.com. Look for swapped letters, like a zero in place of an "o."
The refund deadline is only 24 hours.
The only way to cancel is to call a number in the email.
It says "Hi" or "Dear customer" with no name, and no part of your account details.
The amount is much higher than antivirus usually costs you, or it's for more devices than you own.
The real thing vs. the scam.
What the real organization does
What the scammer does
If you really have Norton or McAfee, you can see your plan and renewal date by typing norton.com or mcafee.com yourself and signing in.
An email that pushes you to a phone number instead of your account.
You can turn off auto-renewal from inside your real account. You don't need to call a stranger.
A "Cancellation Department" phone number with a 24-hour deadline.
A real renewal charge appears on the card saved to your account.
A charge that never shows up on your statement.
If you got this message.
- Don't call the number or click links in the email.
- Check your card or bank statement, or your bank's official app. If there's no charge, delete the email.
- If you do use Norton or McAfee, type norton.com or mcafee.com into your browser and sign in to check your plan. Turn off auto-renewal there if you want to.
- If you see a real charge you didn't expect, contact the company through its own website, or call the number on the back of your card.
- Report the fake email at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, then mark it as phishing and delete it.
If you already clicked, paid or shared information.
If you let the caller onto your computer, disconnect from the internet now.
If you shared card or bank details, call the number on the back of your card or in the official app. Report fraud and ask them to block the card.
If you sent gift cards, a wire or crypto, contact the gift card company, wire service or your bank right away.
Change your email and banking passwords from a different device.
Have the computer checked and cleaned by someone you trust. Your real antivirus can't protect you from a program you were talked into installing.
Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and at ic3.gov if you lost money.
Money already sent? Start with the free C.A.L.M. recovery wizard or get step-by-step help. And watch out for anyone who offers to get it back for a fee.
Not sure about a message?
Check it in a minute.
Answer a few yes-or-no questions and see how risky it looks.
Try the scam checker
How OwlGuardian helps
Make the next scam bounce off.
OwlGuardian scans incoming Gmail and quarantines fake antivirus renewal notices before your parent sees them, then alerts their Trusted Contact, who can release a real one with a tap. It's a second line of defense alongside, not instead of, real security software.
OwlGuardian quietly checks your parent's Gmail with AI, moves scam emails out of sight, and asks you before anything risky gets through. $4.99/month after a 30-day free trial.
Questions people ask.
Is the Norton subscription renewal email a scam?
Why am I getting McAfee renewal emails when I don't have McAfee?
What if I called the number on a fake Norton email?
How do I cancel Norton auto-renewal safely?
Sources
The example above is illustrative, written from the patterns official sources describe. Phone numbers and web addresses in it are fake.
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One short email a week about the scams going around
What's hitting inboxes and phones right now, what it looks like, and the one thing to tell your parents. Written in plain English.