Fake Subscription Auto-Renewal Text Script
Texts claim a subscription has auto-renewed for a substantial fee and provide a link or number to cancel — leading to a phishing page or a phone scam.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Sanitized example messages
Illustrative, sanitized examples. Personal details are replaced with placeholders such as [phone number] and [fake link].
Your [service] subscription has been renewed. [Amount] will be charged today. To cancel: [fake link]
Reminder: your [amount]/year plan renews in 24h. Manage your subscription: [fake link]
Billing confirmation: [amount] charged for your [service] annual plan. Dispute this charge: [phone number]
Your free trial has ended and [amount] has been debited. To reverse this payment, reply CANCEL or call [phone number].
What the scammer wants
To alarm you into clicking a fake cancellation link that harvests card details, or calling a number where a scammer collects payment information or gains remote device access under the guise of processing a refund.
Red flags in the message
- Renewal notice for a service you do not recognise subscribing to
- Cancellation link that goes to a non-official domain
- Phone number to call for a refund rather than an official account portal
- Amount charged is large enough to concern but plausible for an annual plan
- No matching charge visible in your real bank statement
- Text arrives from a mobile number or generic short code
- Agent on the call requests remote access or gift cards to process the refund
A safe response
Do not click the link or call the number. Check your actual subscriptions in your bank or card statement and directly in any services you use. If a charge does not appear in your real account, the message is fraudulent.
What not to send
- Card or bank details via the cancellation link
- Login credentials on a non-official page
- Remote access or gift cards to a caller claiming to process a refund
What to do if you already replied
- If you entered card details, call your bank immediately to cancel the card
- If you called and shared information or gave remote access, follow the remote-access cleanup steps
- Check your real subscriptions and cancel any you do not want
- Report the phishing text to your mobile carrier
- Report the incident to your national cybercrime authority
Evidence to preserve
- Screenshot the full message or call details
- Note the sender number, email, or profile
- Save any links (without clicking) and payment details
- Record dates and times