Fake Spotify Free Trial Cancellation and Refund Scam
Scammers send emails claiming a Spotify trial has converted to a paid subscription and offer an easy cancellation or refund through a link that leads to a credential-harvesting page.
Part of: Fake Cancellation & Refund Scams
Last reviewed: 7 June 2026
Spotify regularly offers free trials for Spotify Premium, and the conversion from trial to paid subscription can catch users by surprise if they forget to cancel before the trial ends. Scammers exploit this real-world anxiety by sending fake 'your free trial has ended and you have been charged' notifications, presenting an irresistible offer of a refund.
The victim, who may indeed have signed up for a Spotify trial at some point, finds the timing credible. The promise of a refund creates positive motivation to click — unlike a threat-based phish, the refund scam feels like a helpful service rather than an attack.
The scam captures not only Spotify credentials but also payment card details under the pretext of processing a refund.
How this scam works on the Spotify brand
Spotify sends genuine trial-to-paid conversion notifications from [email protected], and account billing history is visible at spotify.com/account/subscription. When Spotify charges a card, the transaction appears on the cardholder's bank statement. Spotify processes refund requests through its own support system at support.spotify.com — it does not send out-of-the-blue emails offering refunds.
Fake refund emails claim the recipient was charged for a Premium subscription and offer a prominent 'Claim Refund' button. The button links to a domain impersonating Spotify — at an address like spotify-refund-portal[.]com. The fake refund portal collects the Spotify username and password, then presents a payment form requiring the 'same card used for the original charge' — collecting card number, expiry, CVV, and billing address.
After submission, a fake confirmation page declares the refund will arrive within three to five business days. No refund arrives, and the victim's card details are in the hands of scammers.
Common red flags
- Refund offer email sender is not from @spotify.com
- The 'Claim Refund' link leads to a non-spotify.com domain
- Spotify's actual account page at spotify.com/account shows no charge or no issue
- The refund portal asks for your full card details including CVV — legitimate refunds go to the original payment method automatically
- The email appeared without any prior contact or support request from you
- The email uses generic salutations rather than your Spotify account name
How to protect yourself
- Check your actual Spotify subscription and billing history at spotify.com/account/subscription
- Legitimate refund requests are submitted through support.spotify.com, not through links in emails
- Verify any unexpected charge by checking your bank statement against your Spotify account history directly
- Use a virtual card for streaming trial sign-ups to limit exposure if card details are compromised
- Report the phishing email to [email protected] before deleting it
How to report it
- Report the phishing email to Spotify at [email protected]
- Report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov (US) or Action Fraud actionfraud.police.uk (UK)
- If card details were submitted, contact your bank or card issuer immediately
- Submit the phishing URL to Google Safe Browsing at safebrowsing.google.com/safebrowsing/report_phish
Frequently asked questions
How does Spotify handle a genuine refund?
Spotify processes refunds through its support system at support.spotify.com. Approved refunds are returned to the original payment method automatically — Spotify does not ask for card details again to process a refund. If a refund is approved, you will receive confirmation from Spotify through official channels.
I received an unexpected charge from Spotify I do not recognise. What should I do?
Log in to spotify.com/account to check your subscription status and payment history. If the charge is there, contact Spotify support at support.spotify.com. If the charge does not appear in your Spotify account history, it may have originated from another service — check your bank statement carefully and contact your bank if you cannot identify it.
Does Spotify offer automatic refunds for forgotten trial cancellations?
Spotify's refund policy for paid subscriptions is limited and generally does not include automatic refunds for forgotten trial cancellations. Refund eligibility depends on the specific situation and is handled case-by-case through support.spotify.com. An unsolicited email offering an automatic refund is a scam.