Best Buy / Geek Squad Impersonation Scams
Scammers impersonate Best Buy's Geek Squad support service with fake subscription renewal emails. Best Buy and Geek Squad will never call you to process a refund that requires installing remote-access software.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
The Geek Squad impersonation scam is one of the most widespread tech-support frauds. Victims receive an email claiming their Geek Squad subscription is auto-renewing for a large annual fee and that they must call a number to cancel. The call leads to a scammer who installs remote-access software and either performs a fake refund that 'overpays' the victim — then pressures them to send the surplus back — or directly steals banking credentials.
Genuine Best Buy and Geek Squad communications never involve remote-access software as part of a refund or cancellation process.
How scammers impersonate it
- Sending emails with Geek Squad branding claiming an annual subscription is about to auto-renew
- Providing a phone number in the email that connects to a fake tech-support call centre
- Installing remote-access tools (e.g., AnyDesk) once the victim calls, claiming it is needed to 'process the refund'
- Staging a fake bank account view to show an accidental overpayment and demanding the surplus back in gift cards
- Creating fake Best Buy order confirmation emails for expensive electronics to prompt a cancellation call
What the real organisation never does
- Ask you to install remote-access software to process a refund or cancellation
- Request gift card codes as a method of repaying an accidental refund overpayment
- Contact you proactively about a Geek Squad renewal you did not set up
- Ask for your banking credentials or to log into online banking during a support call
Common red flags
- Email about a Geek Squad renewal with a phone number to call (not a link to bestbuy.com)
- Caller asking you to install AnyDesk, TeamViewer, or similar tools
- Instruction to keep the remote session open while you log into your bank
- Request to buy gift cards to 'send back' an overpayment
- Invoice or receipt that looks like Best Buy but comes from a free email domain
Sanitized example messages
Illustrative, sanitized examples. Personal details are replaced with placeholders such as [phone number] and [fake link].
Email: 'Your Geek Squad Protection Plan has been renewed for $[amount]. To cancel and receive a full refund, call [fake number] within 48 hours.'
Call: 'I need to access your screen to process the refund. Please download AnyDesk at [link].'
How to verify
- Check your actual Best Buy account at bestbuy.com for any real subscriptions
- Contact Best Buy/Geek Squad only via bestbuy.com or 1-888-237-8289
- Never install remote-access software in response to any unsolicited email or call
- If a refund is genuinely owed, it will appear on your original payment method — not as a bank transfer requiring manual return
What to do if you're targeted
- Disconnect from any remote-access session immediately and run a full antivirus scan
- Contact your bank to flag suspicious transactions and change online banking passwords
- Report the scam to the FTC and to Best Buy's security team
Frequently asked questions
I received a Geek Squad invoice but I have never subscribed — is it real?
Almost certainly not. This is a very common scam. Do not call the number in the email — instead go directly to bestbuy.com to check your account, or call Best Buy on their official line.