Cyber scams and how to avoid them

Emails and text messages that impersonate Norton often try to create a sense of urgency by threatening to charge your credit card unless you respond. They may also include warnings about expired antivirus settings or an infection on your computer. Most include an urgent request to contact someone, asking the reader to sign up for a spoof site, open an attachment, call an 800 number, or respond with personal or account information.

Never click on any links in suspicious emails. Forward such suspicious emails as an attachment to spam@norton.com.

For a list of legitimate domains, refer to the following article: Verify that an email you receive from Norton is legitimate.

Spam email example:

Some scammers also send emails that look like they are from a reputable company (e.g., PayPal, Microsoft, etc.). The email contains a Norton Renewal notice, an attached invoice, and a phone number to call to cancel a pending credit card charge.

To avoid these types of scams, be cautious of offers that appear too good to be true and look out for spelling or grammatical mistakes.

Spam invoice example: 

Companies posing as software support providers claim to offer software support services on behalf of major technology companies to gain access to and exploit your personal information. They often gain your trust by misrepresenting their relationship with reputable companies, and prey on the fear of your computer becoming infected with viruses and malware. Many spend hundreds of dollars on useless software and bogus support services, which often results in unknowingly downloading dangerous software that opens their computers to scammers. For more information, refer to the following article: Tech Support Scams.

Social media scams are posts you see on your feeds, all with the goal of getting you to click on a link that could potentially be hosting malware. To learn more about the different types of social media scams, refer to the following article: Learn more about social media scams.

Mobile phone scams can take many forms, but the most common are phishing apps and scam text messages. The premise is the same as phishing emails. However, instead of emails, the malware is spread through a fake app or an SMS/TXT.

Scammers may send fake calendar invitations or events claiming your subscription is expiring or a payment is pending. These invites often include:

• Urgent renewal notices with very high charges.
• Fake transaction details, such as registration IDs or membership numbers.
• Phone numbers to call for “help” - often multiple numbers in the same message.

Norton never sends calendar invites related to billing or payment.

Always verify the sender’s email address and look out for spelling mistakes and unknown domains. For a list of legitimate domains, refer to the following article: Verify that an email you receive from Norton is legitimate. 

Do not click any links or respond to these invites. Forward the suspicious invite as an attachment to spam@norton.com and delete the event.

For detailed information, refer to the following article: New scam alert: Scammers using calendar invites to push fake Norton subscriptions.