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    The charge you didn’t agree to, and the one that never happened.

    The line is “Free trial. Just pop your card in to get started.” Its opposite is an email saying you’ve already been billed hundreds, and only a phone call can stop it.

    Your subscription has renewed

    CloudShield Billing, billing.cloudshield@quickmail.test

    CloudShield Total Protection

    Thank you for your continued trust. Your 3-year plan has renewed and the amount below has been charged.

    InvoiceCS-9920-4471

    Amount$399.99

    1

    Paid byCard on file

    2

    Didn’t authorise this? You have 24 hours to cancel.

    3

    Call +1 (808) 555-0142

    4
    Exhibit / A renewal email. Product invented for this guide

    An email that only wants one phone call.

    1. 1

      A charge sized to frighten you

      The FTC describes messages about hundreds of dollars for tech support renewals, using names such as Geek Squad, McAfee and Norton.

    2. 2

      Nothing you can check

      No card ending, no account, no login. Your own statement settles it in a minute: no transaction there means no charge.

    3. 3

      A 24-hour limit

      The FTC’s version says you must call within 24 hours. It’s there to rattle you, so take the time anyway.

    4. 4

      A phone number as the only exit

      The FTC’s rule is simple: don’t use the number in the message. Find the company’s number yourself.

    FTC on fake renewalsFTC on tech support scams

    Two cons share this inbox.

    One invents a charge to get you on the phone. The other is a real charge you never meant to agree to. The statement below is invented.

    The free trial that kept going

    1. 02 MAR  GLOWTRIAL*STARTER1.95

      The free trial. Just postage, they said. A pre-ticked box at checkout can give permission for what comes next.

    2. 16 MAR  GLOWTRIAL*MONTHLY49.00

      Your silence counted as a yes. The FTC’s plain description of a negative option: an automatic charge unless you say no.

    3. 16 APR  GLOWTRIAL*MONTHLY49.00

      You email to cancel and hear nothing. Keep that email, because it’s your evidence.

    4. 16 MAY  GLOWTRIAL*MONTHLY49.00

      Still going. Citizens Advice (UK) reports ongoing payment details hidden in terms and conditions.

    If you ring the number

    1. They ask to see your computer

      Remote access lets them install spyware and steal your online banking details.

    2. They “refund” you too much

      They ask for bank details to process a refund, fake the transaction and say you were overpaid.

    3. You’re asked to send it back

      By gift card, wire, crypto or payment app. No charge ever existed, and now a real one does.

    FTC on free trialsFTC on fake renewalsCitizens Advice (UK) research

    Open your statement before anything else.

    1. Look for the charge at your bank.

      Use your banking app, not the email. If the money hasn’t moved, the message was the scam, and you’re done.

    2. Reach the company your own way.

      Log in to the account you already have, or use a number you know is real. A subscription you’ve never bought can’t need cancelling.

    3. Never let a stranger control your computer.

      The FTC says never to give remote access to someone you don’t know, whatever reason they give.

      FTC on remote access

    4. Before a trial, find the way out.

      Read the trial length, the price afterwards and how to cancel. Untick pre-ticked boxes. If cancelling isn’t clear, the FTC says to walk away.

      FTC on free trials

    5. Put the cancel date in your calendar.

      Set it two days before the trial ends, while you’re still looking at the terms.

    How to stop a recurring payment.

    United Kingdom

    • You can stop a recurring card payment through your card issuer until the end of the business day before it’s due. The issuer can’t insist you ask the company first.Citizens Advice
    • If money is taken after that, you’re entitled to it back. Stopping the payment doesn’t end the contract, so you may still owe the company. Complain to the bank, then the Financial Ombudsman.

    United States

    • The FTC says you never have to pay for something you didn’t order, and businesses must make cancelling simple.FTC
    • If charges continue, dispute them with your card issuer and follow up in writing to its billing dispute address.

    1. They had remote access

      Disconnect that computer from the internet. On another device, call your bank and change your passwords. Get the computer checked before banking on it again.

    2. You gave bank details

      Call your bank’s fraud team and tell it what you shared and who sent any payments.

    3. A trial keeps charging

      Cancel in writing, keep the proof, then dispute the charges with your card issuer.

    Get a plan for how you paid

    Sources and review

    Reviewed
    2 November 2026
    Review due
    2 May 2027
    Owner
    Scam Finder

    General guidance, not legal or financial advice. Rules depend on your country, provider and payment. This guide names UK, US and Australian rules where it can. Elsewhere, check with your national consumer or fraud authority. Example companies, people and figures are invented.