{"id":"mcafee","page":"https://escalate.alexgaoth.com/#/c/mcafee","html":"https://escalate.alexgaoth.com/c/mcafee/","generated":"2026-10-15","company":{"id":"mcafee","name":"McAfee","aliases":["mcafee llc","mcafee total protection","mcafee+","mcafee plus","mcafee antivirus","mcafee livesafe","mcafee internet security"],"sector":"subscription","website":"https://www.mcafee.com","official_domains":["mcafee.com"],"notes":"www.mcafee.com refused every automated fetch on 2026-10-13 (connection reset), so McAfee's own policy pages could not be read directly. Values marked \"search-result text\" come from search-engine text of McAfee pages on that date; confirm them in the McAfee account or with McAfee before relying on them.","security":{"never_asks":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"McAfee says it will never ask you to confirm personal details and will never require you to call a phone number given in an email or text. Read from search-result text for McAfee's Customer Scam Awareness page on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"known_scams":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"The FTC says tech support scammers \"use the names of well-known companies like Geek Squad, McAfee, and Norton\" and send notices that you were charged hundreds of dollars to renew a subscription. If you call, they ask for remote access, send you to a spoofed refund website, then claim they \"refunded you too much money\" and demand repayment by gift card, wire, crypto or payment app.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"policy","claim":"McAfee describes invoice scams that claim you owe money for a product or service, often with a fake invoice PDF or a request to pay by phone, and recommends signing in at McAfee.com to check your real subscription and renewal status instead of using links in the message. Read from search-result text on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"report_phishing":[{"id":"report-scam-email","type":"email","label":"Report fraudulent emails that use the McAfee brand","value":"scam@mcafee.com","purposes":["fraud"],"notes":"Read from search-result text for McAfee's Customer Scam Awareness page on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"report-scam-phone","type":"phone","label":"McAfee phone line for reporting scams that use the McAfee brand","value":"+1-866-622-3911","purposes":["fraud"],"notes":"Read from search-result text for McAfee's Customer Scam Awareness page on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches. The same number is McAfee's listed phone on its BBB profile.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}]},"regulators":["ftc"],"channels":[{"id":"support-phone","type":"phone","label":"McAfee phone number (listed on McAfee's BBB business profile)","value":"+1-866-622-3911","purposes":["cancel_service","refund_request","unauthorized_charge","billing_error","fraud"],"notes":"The BBB profile for McAfee, LLC (San Jose, CA) lists this number. Hours and phone menu were not checked because mcafee.com blocked automated fetches on 2026-10-13. Call only this number or one shown inside your McAfee account, never a number from an email or invoice.","source":"https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/computer-services/mcafee-llc-1216-1534510/complaints","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"escalation":[{"rung":"frontline","channel":"support-phone"},{"rung":"written_complaint"},{"rung":"payment_dispute","note":"Card dispute for charges after a cancellation."},{"rung":"regulator","regulator":"ftc"},{"rung":"state_agency","agency_kind":"attorney_general"}],"playbooks":[{"issue":"cancel_service","summary":"Turn off auto-renewal in your McAfee account before the payment date. If you were already renewed, ask for a refund inside the refund window.","evidence":["McAfee account email","subscription and renewal date","screenshot of auto-renewal turned off"],"steps":[{"do":"Sign in to your McAfee account by typing mcafee.com into the browser (not from an email link), open the account menu and go to the auto-renewal settings. Turn auto-renewal off before the payment date and take a screenshot.","note":"Path read from search-result text of McAfee pages on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches."},{"do":"If you cannot turn it off, call McAfee.","channel":"support-phone"},{"do":"If McAfee charges you after you turned auto-renewal off, ask McAfee for a refund, then dispute the charge with your card issuer if it refuses."}]},{"issue":"refund_request","summary":"McAfee's published policy (search-result text) allows a refund request within 30 days of the first purchase or within 60 days of an automatic renewal, for terms of one year or longer.","evidence":["order or invoice number","charge date and amount","card statement"],"steps":[{"do":"Check the charge date against the 30-day (new purchase) and 60-day (automatic renewal) windows."},{"do":"Call McAfee and ask for a full refund; turn off auto-renewal in the same contact.","channel":"support-phone"},{"do":"If McAfee refuses a refund inside the window, or charged you after you turned off auto-renewal, dispute the charge with your card issuer."}],"facts":[{"kind":"deadline","claim":"McAfee's US refund policy says annual subscribers who ask within 30 days of purchase are eligible for a refund, and that McAfee refunds the most recent automatic renewal charge in full if you ask within 60 days of the charge. McAfee does not give prorated refunds.","issues":["refund_request","bill_increase"],"source":"https://www.mcafee.com/support/s/article/000001679-refund?language=en_US","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}]},{"issue":"unauthorized_charge","summary":"First check whether the \"charge\" is real. Fake McAfee renewal invoices are common; call no number in the message.","evidence":["card or bank statement","the suspicious email","McAfee order number if the charge is real"],"steps":[{"do":"Do not call any number or click any link in the email or invoice. Check your card or bank statement, and sign in to McAfee by typing mcafee.com into the browser."},{"do":"If there is no matching charge, the message is a scam. Report it to McAfee and to the FTC, and delete it.","regulator":"ftc"},{"do":"If there is a real McAfee charge you did not expect, call McAfee and ask for a refund.","channel":"support-phone"},{"do":"If you gave a caller remote access, card details or money, contact your bank or card issuer at once."}],"facts":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"The FTC says: \"If you get a message about a tech support subscription renewal and you think it's real, contact the company directly\" using contact details you know are real, and check your statements for an unauthorized transaction.","issues":["unauthorized_charge","fraud"],"source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}]},{"issue":"bill_increase","summary":"McAfee auto-renewal prices have been the subject of a settled class action. If a renewal costs more than you expected, turn off auto-renewal and ask for a refund within 60 days of the renewal charge.","evidence":["renewal charge date and amount","earlier price paid","order number"],"steps":[{"do":"Turn off auto-renewal in your McAfee account."},{"do":"Within 60 days of the renewal charge, call McAfee and ask for a refund.","channel":"support-phone"}],"facts":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"In Williamson v. McAfee and Kirby v. McAfee (N.D. Cal.), plaintiffs alleged McAfee charged auto-renewal prices higher than it advertised. A federal judge granted final approval of a settlement on February 3, 2017; McAfee denied wrongdoing.","issues":["bill_increase"],"source":"https://www.mealeys.com/mealeys/articles/1622751/class-settlement-approved-in-2-mcafee-antivirus-auto-renewal-suits","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}]}],"known_blockers":["www.mcafee.com refused automated fetches on 2026-10-13, so McAfee's refund policy, auto-renewal terms, account URL and phone hours could not be read directly. Values marked \"search-result text\" need confirming.","Turning off auto-renewal needs sign-in to the McAfee account.","Do not use \"McAfee support\" phone numbers from search results, pop-ups or emails; fake renewal invoices with call-back numbers are a common scam."]},"playbooks":{"cancel_service":{"company":{"id":"mcafee","name":"McAfee","sector":"subscription","website":"https://www.mcafee.com","account_url":null},"issue":{"id":"cancel_service","name":"Cancellation problem"},"playbook_source":"company","summary":"Turn off auto-renewal in your McAfee account before the payment date. If you were already renewed, ask for a refund inside the refund window.","evidence":["McAfee account email","subscription and renewal date","screenshot of auto-renewal turned off"],"steps":[{"do":"Sign in to your McAfee account by typing mcafee.com into the browser (not from an email link), open the account menu and go to the auto-renewal settings. Turn auto-renewal off before the payment date and take a screenshot.","note":"Path read from search-result text of McAfee pages on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches."},{"do":"If you cannot turn it off, call McAfee.","channel":{"id":"support-phone","type":"phone","label":"McAfee phone number (listed on McAfee's BBB business profile)","value":"+1-866-622-3911","purposes":["cancel_service","refund_request","unauthorized_charge","billing_error","fraud"],"notes":"The BBB profile for McAfee, LLC (San Jose, CA) lists this number. Hours and phone menu were not checked because mcafee.com blocked automated fetches on 2026-10-13. Call only this number or one shown inside your McAfee account, never a number from an email or invoice.","source":"https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/computer-services/mcafee-llc-1216-1534510/complaints","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}},{"do":"If McAfee charges you after you turned auto-renewal off, ask McAfee for a refund, then dispute the charge with your card issuer if it refuses."}],"channels":[{"id":"support-phone","type":"phone","label":"McAfee phone number (listed on McAfee's BBB business profile)","value":"+1-866-622-3911","purposes":["cancel_service","refund_request","unauthorized_charge","billing_error","fraud"],"notes":"The BBB profile for McAfee, LLC (San Jose, CA) lists this number. Hours and phone menu were not checked because mcafee.com blocked automated fetches on 2026-10-13. Call only this number or one shown inside your McAfee account, never a number from an email or invoice.","source":"https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/computer-services/mcafee-llc-1216-1534510/complaints","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"facts":[],"rules":{"in_force":[{"id":"rosca-negative-option","title":"Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act (ROSCA) negative option requirements","citation":"15 U.S.C. 8401-8405","jurisdiction":"us-federal","status":"in_effect","summary":"A seller that charges consumers online through a negative option feature (for example an automatic renewal or a free trial that converts to paid) must clearly disclose all material terms before taking billing information, get the consumer's express informed consent before charging, and provide simple mechanisms to stop recurring charges. The FTC enforces ROSCA.","source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/8403","last_verified":"2026-10-12","points_omitted":2,"points":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"Before obtaining the consumer's billing information, the seller must provide text that \"clearly and conspicuously discloses all material terms of the transaction\".","issues":["cancel_service","unauthorized_charge"],"source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/8403","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"policy","claim":"The seller must provide \"simple mechanisms for a consumer to stop recurring charges\" on the consumer's credit card, debit card, bank account or other financial account.","issues":["cancel_service"],"source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/8403","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"process","claim":"A ROSCA violation is treated as a violation of an FTC rule on unfair or deceptive acts or practices, and the FTC enforces ROSCA with its FTC Act powers and penalties. Report violations to the FTC.","issues":["cancel_service","unauthorized_charge"],"source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/8404","last_verified":"2026-10-12"}]}],"not_in_force":[{"id":"ftc-click-to-cancel","title":"FTC \"Click-to-Cancel\" amendments to the Negative Option Rule (2024)","citation":"16 CFR part 425 (2024 amendments, published November 15, 2024)","jurisdiction":"us-federal","status":"vacated","summary":"The FTC's 2024 amendments to the Negative Option Rule (\"click-to-cancel\") were vacated in full by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit on July 8, 2025, and never took effect. Do not cite them. For online subscriptions, cite ROSCA (rules/rosca-negative-option) and applicable state automatic renewal laws instead.","source":"https://ecf.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/25/07/243137P.pdf","last_verified":"2026-10-12","status_note":"Vacated in full by the Eighth Circuit on July 8, 2025 (Custom Communications, Inc. v. FTC, 142 F.4th 1060). The FTC removed the 2024 text effective February 12, 2026 and restored the pre-2024 prenotification rule. A new rulemaking is only at the ANPRM stage (March 13, 2026), with no proposed text as of 2026-10-12. What remains in force: ROSCA (rules/rosca-negative-option), Section 5 of the FTC Act, and state automatic renewal laws (for example rules/ca-automatic-renewal-law, rules/ny-automatic-renewal-law).","do_not_cite":"This rule is not in force. Do not cite it as current law."}]},"tips":[],"escalation":[{"index":0,"rung":"frontline","channel":{"id":"support-phone","type":"phone","label":"McAfee phone number (listed on McAfee's BBB business profile)","value":"+1-866-622-3911","purposes":["cancel_service","refund_request","unauthorized_charge","billing_error","fraud"],"notes":"The BBB profile for McAfee, LLC (San Jose, CA) lists this number. Hours and phone menu were not checked because mcafee.com blocked automated fetches on 2026-10-13. Call only this number or one shown inside your McAfee account, never a number from an email or invoice.","source":"https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/computer-services/mcafee-llc-1216-1534510/complaints","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}},{"index":1,"rung":"written_complaint","candidate_channels":["support-phone"]},{"index":2,"rung":"payment_dispute","note":"Card dispute for charges after a cancellation.","rules":["fcba-billing-error","efta-reg-e"]},{"index":3,"rung":"regulator","regulator":{"id":"ftc","name":"Federal Trade Commission","level":"federal","when_to_use":"Report fraud, scams, identity theft and unfair or deceptive business practices, such as a company that blocks cancellation. The FTC does not resolve individual cases, so pursue your refund with the company, your card issuer or a state agency at the same time.","channels":[{"id":"reportfraud","type":"web_form","label":"ReportFraud.ftc.gov","value":"https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/","purposes":["fraud","unauthorized_charge","cancel_service"],"notes":"For fraud, scams and bad business practices.","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"identitytheft","type":"web_form","label":"IdentityTheft.gov (identity theft report and recovery plan)","value":"https://www.identitytheft.gov/","purposes":["fraud"],"source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"donotcall","type":"web_form","label":"National Do Not Call Registry (unwanted calls)","value":"https://www.donotcall.gov/","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"consumer-response-center","type":"phone","label":"Consumer Response Center (1-877-FTC-HELP)","value":"+1-877-382-4357","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"headquarters-mail","type":"mail","label":"FTC headquarters mailing address","value":"Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580","notes":"The contact page lists this headquarters address. Online reporting is the documented path for consumer reports.","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"}],"facts":[{"kind":"process","claim":"The FTC and other agencies use reports to investigate and bring cases, but cannot resolve cases for individuals.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/04/reporting-fraud-101-protect-your-community-reporting-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"process","claim":"Reports go into a secure national database that law enforcement can use. FTC investigators, lawyers and analysts review reports to spot patterns and build cases.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2026/08/did-you-spot-scam-heres-what-do-next","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"process","claim":"After you submit a report, the FTC gives you steps to protect yourself or try to get your money back.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/04/reporting-fraud-101-protect-your-community-reporting-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-12"}],"notes":"The FTC collects reports; it does not mediate. A report number is still useful evidence for a card dispute or a state attorney general complaint. ReportFraud.ftc.gov was still the reporting path in an FTC consumer alert dated 2026-08-28."}},{"index":4,"rung":"state_agency","agency_kind":"attorney_general","agencies":"Ask for the person's state, then call find_regulators."}],"known_blockers":["www.mcafee.com refused automated fetches on 2026-10-13, so McAfee's refund policy, auto-renewal terms, account URL and phone hours could not be read directly. Values marked \"search-result text\" need confirming.","Turning off auto-renewal needs sign-in to the McAfee account.","Do not use \"McAfee support\" phone numbers from search results, pop-ups or emails; fake renewal invoices with call-back numbers are a common scam."],"security":{"official_domains":["mcafee.com"],"never_asks":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"McAfee says it will never ask you to confirm personal details and will never require you to call a phone number given in an email or text. Read from search-result text for McAfee's Customer Scam Awareness page on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"known_scams":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"The FTC says tech support scammers \"use the names of well-known companies like Geek Squad, McAfee, and Norton\" and send notices that you were charged hundreds of dollars to renew a subscription. If you call, they ask for remote access, send you to a spoofed refund website, then claim they \"refunded you too much money\" and demand repayment by gift card, wire, crypto or payment app.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"policy","claim":"McAfee describes invoice scams that claim you owe money for a product or service, often with a fake invoice PDF or a request to pay by phone, and recommends signing in at McAfee.com to check your real subscription and renewal status instead of using links in the message. Read from search-result text on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"report_phishing":[{"id":"report-scam-email","type":"email","label":"Report fraudulent emails that use the McAfee brand","value":"scam@mcafee.com","purposes":["fraud"],"notes":"Read from search-result text for McAfee's Customer Scam Awareness page on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"report-scam-phone","type":"phone","label":"McAfee phone line for reporting scams that use the McAfee brand","value":"+1-866-622-3911","purposes":["fraud"],"notes":"Read from search-result text for McAfee's Customer Scam Awareness page on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches. The same number is McAfee's listed phone on its BBB profile.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}]},"credibility":{"grade":"C","primary_share":0.609,"sources":{"primary":14,"reference":3,"other":6},"verified_from":{"page":5,"search_snippet":4},"last_verified":"2026-10-13","oldest_verified":"2026-10-13","stale_items":0,"explanation":"Grade C (use with care: check the source of each value before relying on it). 61% of 23 sources are the organization's own pages or government sites; 4 value(s) were read from a search snippet or an archive copy.","dossier_last_verified":"2026-10-13"},"context":{"dossier":true,"sector_guide":true,"hint":"Call get_context for how this company handles complaints in practice and which scams use its name."},"notes":"www.mcafee.com refused every automated fetch on 2026-10-13 (connection reset), so McAfee's own policy pages could not be read directly. Values marked \"search-result text\" come from search-engine text of McAfee pages on that date; confirm them in the McAfee account or with McAfee before relying on them.","warnings":[]},"refund_request":{"company":{"id":"mcafee","name":"McAfee","sector":"subscription","website":"https://www.mcafee.com","account_url":null},"issue":{"id":"refund_request","name":"Refund request"},"playbook_source":"company","summary":"McAfee's published policy (search-result text) allows a refund request within 30 days of the first purchase or within 60 days of an automatic renewal, for terms of one year or longer.","evidence":["order or invoice number","charge date and amount","card statement"],"steps":[{"do":"Check the charge date against the 30-day (new purchase) and 60-day (automatic renewal) windows."},{"do":"Call McAfee and ask for a full refund; turn off auto-renewal in the same contact.","channel":{"id":"support-phone","type":"phone","label":"McAfee phone number (listed on McAfee's BBB business profile)","value":"+1-866-622-3911","purposes":["cancel_service","refund_request","unauthorized_charge","billing_error","fraud"],"notes":"The BBB profile for McAfee, LLC (San Jose, CA) lists this number. Hours and phone menu were not checked because mcafee.com blocked automated fetches on 2026-10-13. Call only this number or one shown inside your McAfee account, never a number from an email or invoice.","source":"https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/computer-services/mcafee-llc-1216-1534510/complaints","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}},{"do":"If McAfee refuses a refund inside the window, or charged you after you turned off auto-renewal, dispute the charge with your card issuer."}],"channels":[{"id":"support-phone","type":"phone","label":"McAfee phone number (listed on McAfee's BBB business profile)","value":"+1-866-622-3911","purposes":["cancel_service","refund_request","unauthorized_charge","billing_error","fraud"],"notes":"The BBB profile for McAfee, LLC (San Jose, CA) lists this number. Hours and phone menu were not checked because mcafee.com blocked automated fetches on 2026-10-13. Call only this number or one shown inside your McAfee account, never a number from an email or invoice.","source":"https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/computer-services/mcafee-llc-1216-1534510/complaints","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"facts":[{"kind":"deadline","claim":"McAfee's US refund policy says annual subscribers who ask within 30 days of purchase are eligible for a refund, and that McAfee refunds the most recent automatic renewal charge in full if you ask within 60 days of the charge. McAfee does not give prorated refunds.","issues":["refund_request","bill_increase"],"source":"https://www.mcafee.com/support/s/article/000001679-refund?language=en_US","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"rules":{"in_force":[],"not_in_force":[]},"tips":[],"escalation":[{"index":0,"rung":"frontline","channel":{"id":"support-phone","type":"phone","label":"McAfee phone number (listed on McAfee's BBB business profile)","value":"+1-866-622-3911","purposes":["cancel_service","refund_request","unauthorized_charge","billing_error","fraud"],"notes":"The BBB profile for McAfee, LLC (San Jose, CA) lists this number. Hours and phone menu were not checked because mcafee.com blocked automated fetches on 2026-10-13. Call only this number or one shown inside your McAfee account, never a number from an email or invoice.","source":"https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/computer-services/mcafee-llc-1216-1534510/complaints","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}},{"index":1,"rung":"written_complaint","candidate_channels":["support-phone"]},{"index":2,"rung":"payment_dispute","note":"Card dispute for charges after a cancellation.","rules":["fcba-billing-error","efta-reg-e"]},{"index":3,"rung":"regulator","regulator":{"id":"ftc","name":"Federal Trade Commission","level":"federal","when_to_use":"Report fraud, scams, identity theft and unfair or deceptive business practices, such as a company that blocks cancellation. The FTC does not resolve individual cases, so pursue your refund with the company, your card issuer or a state agency at the same time.","channels":[{"id":"reportfraud","type":"web_form","label":"ReportFraud.ftc.gov","value":"https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/","purposes":["fraud","unauthorized_charge","cancel_service"],"notes":"For fraud, scams and bad business practices.","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"identitytheft","type":"web_form","label":"IdentityTheft.gov (identity theft report and recovery plan)","value":"https://www.identitytheft.gov/","purposes":["fraud"],"source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"donotcall","type":"web_form","label":"National Do Not Call Registry (unwanted calls)","value":"https://www.donotcall.gov/","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"consumer-response-center","type":"phone","label":"Consumer Response Center (1-877-FTC-HELP)","value":"+1-877-382-4357","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"headquarters-mail","type":"mail","label":"FTC headquarters mailing address","value":"Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580","notes":"The contact page lists this headquarters address. Online reporting is the documented path for consumer reports.","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"}],"facts":[{"kind":"process","claim":"The FTC and other agencies use reports to investigate and bring cases, but cannot resolve cases for individuals.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/04/reporting-fraud-101-protect-your-community-reporting-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"process","claim":"Reports go into a secure national database that law enforcement can use. FTC investigators, lawyers and analysts review reports to spot patterns and build cases.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2026/08/did-you-spot-scam-heres-what-do-next","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"process","claim":"After you submit a report, the FTC gives you steps to protect yourself or try to get your money back.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/04/reporting-fraud-101-protect-your-community-reporting-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-12"}],"notes":"The FTC collects reports; it does not mediate. A report number is still useful evidence for a card dispute or a state attorney general complaint. ReportFraud.ftc.gov was still the reporting path in an FTC consumer alert dated 2026-08-28."}},{"index":4,"rung":"state_agency","agency_kind":"attorney_general","agencies":"Ask for the person's state, then call find_regulators."}],"known_blockers":["www.mcafee.com refused automated fetches on 2026-10-13, so McAfee's refund policy, auto-renewal terms, account URL and phone hours could not be read directly. Values marked \"search-result text\" need confirming.","Turning off auto-renewal needs sign-in to the McAfee account.","Do not use \"McAfee support\" phone numbers from search results, pop-ups or emails; fake renewal invoices with call-back numbers are a common scam."],"security":{"official_domains":["mcafee.com"],"never_asks":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"McAfee says it will never ask you to confirm personal details and will never require you to call a phone number given in an email or text. Read from search-result text for McAfee's Customer Scam Awareness page on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"known_scams":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"The FTC says tech support scammers \"use the names of well-known companies like Geek Squad, McAfee, and Norton\" and send notices that you were charged hundreds of dollars to renew a subscription. If you call, they ask for remote access, send you to a spoofed refund website, then claim they \"refunded you too much money\" and demand repayment by gift card, wire, crypto or payment app.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"policy","claim":"McAfee describes invoice scams that claim you owe money for a product or service, often with a fake invoice PDF or a request to pay by phone, and recommends signing in at McAfee.com to check your real subscription and renewal status instead of using links in the message. Read from search-result text on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"report_phishing":[{"id":"report-scam-email","type":"email","label":"Report fraudulent emails that use the McAfee brand","value":"scam@mcafee.com","purposes":["fraud"],"notes":"Read from search-result text for McAfee's Customer Scam Awareness page on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"report-scam-phone","type":"phone","label":"McAfee phone line for reporting scams that use the McAfee brand","value":"+1-866-622-3911","purposes":["fraud"],"notes":"Read from search-result text for McAfee's Customer Scam Awareness page on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches. The same number is McAfee's listed phone on its BBB profile.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}]},"credibility":{"grade":"C","primary_share":0.609,"sources":{"primary":14,"reference":3,"other":6},"verified_from":{"page":5,"search_snippet":4},"last_verified":"2026-10-13","oldest_verified":"2026-10-13","stale_items":0,"explanation":"Grade C (use with care: check the source of each value before relying on it). 61% of 23 sources are the organization's own pages or government sites; 4 value(s) were read from a search snippet or an archive copy.","dossier_last_verified":"2026-10-13"},"context":{"dossier":true,"sector_guide":true,"hint":"Call get_context for how this company handles complaints in practice and which scams use its name."},"notes":"www.mcafee.com refused every automated fetch on 2026-10-13 (connection reset), so McAfee's own policy pages could not be read directly. Values marked \"search-result text\" come from search-engine text of McAfee pages on that date; confirm them in the McAfee account or with McAfee before relying on them.","warnings":[]},"unauthorized_charge":{"company":{"id":"mcafee","name":"McAfee","sector":"subscription","website":"https://www.mcafee.com","account_url":null},"issue":{"id":"unauthorized_charge","name":"Unauthorized charge"},"playbook_source":"company","summary":"First check whether the \"charge\" is real. Fake McAfee renewal invoices are common; call no number in the message.","evidence":["card or bank statement","the suspicious email","McAfee order number if the charge is real"],"steps":[{"do":"Do not call any number or click any link in the email or invoice. Check your card or bank statement, and sign in to McAfee by typing mcafee.com into the browser."},{"do":"If there is no matching charge, the message is a scam. Report it to McAfee and to the FTC, and delete it.","regulator":{"id":"ftc","name":"Federal Trade Commission","level":"federal","when_to_use":"Report fraud, scams, identity theft and unfair or deceptive business practices, such as a company that blocks cancellation. The FTC does not resolve individual cases, so pursue your refund with the company, your card issuer or a state agency at the same time.","channels":[{"id":"reportfraud","type":"web_form","label":"ReportFraud.ftc.gov","value":"https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/","purposes":["fraud","unauthorized_charge","cancel_service"],"notes":"For fraud, scams and bad business practices.","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"identitytheft","type":"web_form","label":"IdentityTheft.gov (identity theft report and recovery plan)","value":"https://www.identitytheft.gov/","purposes":["fraud"],"source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"donotcall","type":"web_form","label":"National Do Not Call Registry (unwanted calls)","value":"https://www.donotcall.gov/","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"consumer-response-center","type":"phone","label":"Consumer Response Center (1-877-FTC-HELP)","value":"+1-877-382-4357","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"headquarters-mail","type":"mail","label":"FTC headquarters mailing address","value":"Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580","notes":"The contact page lists this headquarters address. Online reporting is the documented path for consumer reports.","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"}],"facts":[{"kind":"process","claim":"The FTC and other agencies use reports to investigate and bring cases, but cannot resolve cases for individuals.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/04/reporting-fraud-101-protect-your-community-reporting-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"process","claim":"Reports go into a secure national database that law enforcement can use. FTC investigators, lawyers and analysts review reports to spot patterns and build cases.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2026/08/did-you-spot-scam-heres-what-do-next","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"process","claim":"After you submit a report, the FTC gives you steps to protect yourself or try to get your money back.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/04/reporting-fraud-101-protect-your-community-reporting-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-12"}],"notes":"The FTC collects reports; it does not mediate. A report number is still useful evidence for a card dispute or a state attorney general complaint. ReportFraud.ftc.gov was still the reporting path in an FTC consumer alert dated 2026-08-28."}},{"do":"If there is a real McAfee charge you did not expect, call McAfee and ask for a refund.","channel":{"id":"support-phone","type":"phone","label":"McAfee phone number (listed on McAfee's BBB business profile)","value":"+1-866-622-3911","purposes":["cancel_service","refund_request","unauthorized_charge","billing_error","fraud"],"notes":"The BBB profile for McAfee, LLC (San Jose, CA) lists this number. Hours and phone menu were not checked because mcafee.com blocked automated fetches on 2026-10-13. Call only this number or one shown inside your McAfee account, never a number from an email or invoice.","source":"https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/computer-services/mcafee-llc-1216-1534510/complaints","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}},{"do":"If you gave a caller remote access, card details or money, contact your bank or card issuer at once."}],"channels":[{"id":"support-phone","type":"phone","label":"McAfee phone number (listed on McAfee's BBB business profile)","value":"+1-866-622-3911","purposes":["cancel_service","refund_request","unauthorized_charge","billing_error","fraud"],"notes":"The BBB profile for McAfee, LLC (San Jose, CA) lists this number. Hours and phone menu were not checked because mcafee.com blocked automated fetches on 2026-10-13. Call only this number or one shown inside your McAfee account, never a number from an email or invoice.","source":"https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/computer-services/mcafee-llc-1216-1534510/complaints","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"facts":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"The FTC says: \"If you get a message about a tech support subscription renewal and you think it's real, contact the company directly\" using contact details you know are real, and check your statements for an unauthorized transaction.","issues":["unauthorized_charge","fraud"],"source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"rules":{"in_force":[{"id":"rosca-negative-option","title":"Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act (ROSCA) negative option requirements","citation":"15 U.S.C. 8401-8405","jurisdiction":"us-federal","status":"in_effect","summary":"A seller that charges consumers online through a negative option feature (for example an automatic renewal or a free trial that converts to paid) must clearly disclose all material terms before taking billing information, get the consumer's express informed consent before charging, and provide simple mechanisms to stop recurring charges. The FTC enforces ROSCA.","source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/8403","last_verified":"2026-10-12","points_omitted":1,"points":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"Before obtaining the consumer's billing information, the seller must provide text that \"clearly and conspicuously discloses all material terms of the transaction\".","issues":["cancel_service","unauthorized_charge"],"source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/8403","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"policy","claim":"The seller must obtain \"a consumer's express informed consent before charging the consumer's credit card, debit card, bank account, or other financial account\".","issues":["unauthorized_charge","billing_error"],"source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/8403","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"policy","claim":"A post-transaction third-party seller may not charge a consumer for an online sale unless it discloses the material terms and gets express informed consent, including the consumer's full account number, before charging. An initial merchant may not pass a customer's account number or other billing information to such a seller.","issues":["unauthorized_charge"],"source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/8402","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"process","claim":"A ROSCA violation is treated as a violation of an FTC rule on unfair or deceptive acts or practices, and the FTC enforces ROSCA with its FTC Act powers and penalties. Report violations to the FTC.","issues":["cancel_service","unauthorized_charge"],"source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/8404","last_verified":"2026-10-12"}]}],"not_in_force":[]},"tips":[],"escalation":[{"index":0,"rung":"frontline","channel":{"id":"support-phone","type":"phone","label":"McAfee phone number (listed on McAfee's BBB business profile)","value":"+1-866-622-3911","purposes":["cancel_service","refund_request","unauthorized_charge","billing_error","fraud"],"notes":"The BBB profile for McAfee, LLC (San Jose, CA) lists this number. Hours and phone menu were not checked because mcafee.com blocked automated fetches on 2026-10-13. Call only this number or one shown inside your McAfee account, never a number from an email or invoice.","source":"https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/computer-services/mcafee-llc-1216-1534510/complaints","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}},{"index":1,"rung":"written_complaint","candidate_channels":["support-phone"]},{"index":2,"rung":"payment_dispute","note":"Card dispute for charges after a cancellation.","rules":["fcba-billing-error","efta-reg-e"]},{"index":3,"rung":"regulator","regulator":{"id":"ftc","name":"Federal Trade Commission","level":"federal","when_to_use":"Report fraud, scams, identity theft and unfair or deceptive business practices, such as a company that blocks cancellation. The FTC does not resolve individual cases, so pursue your refund with the company, your card issuer or a state agency at the same time.","channels":[{"id":"reportfraud","type":"web_form","label":"ReportFraud.ftc.gov","value":"https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/","purposes":["fraud","unauthorized_charge","cancel_service"],"notes":"For fraud, scams and bad business practices.","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"identitytheft","type":"web_form","label":"IdentityTheft.gov (identity theft report and recovery plan)","value":"https://www.identitytheft.gov/","purposes":["fraud"],"source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"donotcall","type":"web_form","label":"National Do Not Call Registry (unwanted calls)","value":"https://www.donotcall.gov/","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"consumer-response-center","type":"phone","label":"Consumer Response Center (1-877-FTC-HELP)","value":"+1-877-382-4357","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"headquarters-mail","type":"mail","label":"FTC headquarters mailing address","value":"Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580","notes":"The contact page lists this headquarters address. Online reporting is the documented path for consumer reports.","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"}],"facts":[{"kind":"process","claim":"The FTC and other agencies use reports to investigate and bring cases, but cannot resolve cases for individuals.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/04/reporting-fraud-101-protect-your-community-reporting-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"process","claim":"Reports go into a secure national database that law enforcement can use. FTC investigators, lawyers and analysts review reports to spot patterns and build cases.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2026/08/did-you-spot-scam-heres-what-do-next","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"process","claim":"After you submit a report, the FTC gives you steps to protect yourself or try to get your money back.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/04/reporting-fraud-101-protect-your-community-reporting-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-12"}],"notes":"The FTC collects reports; it does not mediate. A report number is still useful evidence for a card dispute or a state attorney general complaint. ReportFraud.ftc.gov was still the reporting path in an FTC consumer alert dated 2026-08-28."}},{"index":4,"rung":"state_agency","agency_kind":"attorney_general","agencies":"Ask for the person's state, then call find_regulators."}],"known_blockers":["www.mcafee.com refused automated fetches on 2026-10-13, so McAfee's refund policy, auto-renewal terms, account URL and phone hours could not be read directly. Values marked \"search-result text\" need confirming.","Turning off auto-renewal needs sign-in to the McAfee account.","Do not use \"McAfee support\" phone numbers from search results, pop-ups or emails; fake renewal invoices with call-back numbers are a common scam."],"security":{"official_domains":["mcafee.com"],"never_asks":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"McAfee says it will never ask you to confirm personal details and will never require you to call a phone number given in an email or text. Read from search-result text for McAfee's Customer Scam Awareness page on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"known_scams":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"The FTC says tech support scammers \"use the names of well-known companies like Geek Squad, McAfee, and Norton\" and send notices that you were charged hundreds of dollars to renew a subscription. If you call, they ask for remote access, send you to a spoofed refund website, then claim they \"refunded you too much money\" and demand repayment by gift card, wire, crypto or payment app.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"policy","claim":"McAfee describes invoice scams that claim you owe money for a product or service, often with a fake invoice PDF or a request to pay by phone, and recommends signing in at McAfee.com to check your real subscription and renewal status instead of using links in the message. Read from search-result text on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"report_phishing":[{"id":"report-scam-email","type":"email","label":"Report fraudulent emails that use the McAfee brand","value":"scam@mcafee.com","purposes":["fraud"],"notes":"Read from search-result text for McAfee's Customer Scam Awareness page on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"report-scam-phone","type":"phone","label":"McAfee phone line for reporting scams that use the McAfee brand","value":"+1-866-622-3911","purposes":["fraud"],"notes":"Read from search-result text for McAfee's Customer Scam Awareness page on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches. The same number is McAfee's listed phone on its BBB profile.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}]},"credibility":{"grade":"C","primary_share":0.609,"sources":{"primary":14,"reference":3,"other":6},"verified_from":{"page":5,"search_snippet":4},"last_verified":"2026-10-13","oldest_verified":"2026-10-13","stale_items":0,"explanation":"Grade C (use with care: check the source of each value before relying on it). 61% of 23 sources are the organization's own pages or government sites; 4 value(s) were read from a search snippet or an archive copy.","dossier_last_verified":"2026-10-13"},"context":{"dossier":true,"sector_guide":true,"hint":"Call get_context for how this company handles complaints in practice and which scams use its name."},"notes":"www.mcafee.com refused every automated fetch on 2026-10-13 (connection reset), so McAfee's own policy pages could not be read directly. Values marked \"search-result text\" come from search-engine text of McAfee pages on that date; confirm them in the McAfee account or with McAfee before relying on them.","warnings":[]},"bill_increase":{"company":{"id":"mcafee","name":"McAfee","sector":"subscription","website":"https://www.mcafee.com","account_url":null},"issue":{"id":"bill_increase","name":"Bill went up"},"playbook_source":"company","summary":"McAfee auto-renewal prices have been the subject of a settled class action. If a renewal costs more than you expected, turn off auto-renewal and ask for a refund within 60 days of the renewal charge.","evidence":["renewal charge date and amount","earlier price paid","order number"],"steps":[{"do":"Turn off auto-renewal in your McAfee account."},{"do":"Within 60 days of the renewal charge, call McAfee and ask for a refund.","channel":{"id":"support-phone","type":"phone","label":"McAfee phone number (listed on McAfee's BBB business profile)","value":"+1-866-622-3911","purposes":["cancel_service","refund_request","unauthorized_charge","billing_error","fraud"],"notes":"The BBB profile for McAfee, LLC (San Jose, CA) lists this number. Hours and phone menu were not checked because mcafee.com blocked automated fetches on 2026-10-13. Call only this number or one shown inside your McAfee account, never a number from an email or invoice.","source":"https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/computer-services/mcafee-llc-1216-1534510/complaints","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}}],"channels":[],"facts":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"In Williamson v. McAfee and Kirby v. McAfee (N.D. Cal.), plaintiffs alleged McAfee charged auto-renewal prices higher than it advertised. A federal judge granted final approval of a settlement on February 3, 2017; McAfee denied wrongdoing.","issues":["bill_increase"],"source":"https://www.mealeys.com/mealeys/articles/1622751/class-settlement-approved-in-2-mcafee-antivirus-auto-renewal-suits","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"rules":{"in_force":[],"not_in_force":[]},"tips":[],"escalation":[{"index":0,"rung":"frontline","channel":{"id":"support-phone","type":"phone","label":"McAfee phone number (listed on McAfee's BBB business profile)","value":"+1-866-622-3911","purposes":["cancel_service","refund_request","unauthorized_charge","billing_error","fraud"],"notes":"The BBB profile for McAfee, LLC (San Jose, CA) lists this number. Hours and phone menu were not checked because mcafee.com blocked automated fetches on 2026-10-13. Call only this number or one shown inside your McAfee account, never a number from an email or invoice.","source":"https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/computer-services/mcafee-llc-1216-1534510/complaints","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}},{"index":1,"rung":"written_complaint","candidate_channels":["support-phone"]},{"index":2,"rung":"payment_dispute","note":"Card dispute for charges after a cancellation.","rules":["fcba-billing-error","efta-reg-e"]},{"index":3,"rung":"regulator","regulator":{"id":"ftc","name":"Federal Trade Commission","level":"federal","when_to_use":"Report fraud, scams, identity theft and unfair or deceptive business practices, such as a company that blocks cancellation. The FTC does not resolve individual cases, so pursue your refund with the company, your card issuer or a state agency at the same time.","channels":[{"id":"reportfraud","type":"web_form","label":"ReportFraud.ftc.gov","value":"https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/","purposes":["fraud","unauthorized_charge","cancel_service"],"notes":"For fraud, scams and bad business practices.","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"identitytheft","type":"web_form","label":"IdentityTheft.gov (identity theft report and recovery plan)","value":"https://www.identitytheft.gov/","purposes":["fraud"],"source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"donotcall","type":"web_form","label":"National Do Not Call Registry (unwanted calls)","value":"https://www.donotcall.gov/","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"consumer-response-center","type":"phone","label":"Consumer Response Center (1-877-FTC-HELP)","value":"+1-877-382-4357","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"headquarters-mail","type":"mail","label":"FTC headquarters mailing address","value":"Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580","notes":"The contact page lists this headquarters address. Online reporting is the documented path for consumer reports.","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"}],"facts":[{"kind":"process","claim":"The FTC and other agencies use reports to investigate and bring cases, but cannot resolve cases for individuals.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/04/reporting-fraud-101-protect-your-community-reporting-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"process","claim":"Reports go into a secure national database that law enforcement can use. FTC investigators, lawyers and analysts review reports to spot patterns and build cases.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2026/08/did-you-spot-scam-heres-what-do-next","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"process","claim":"After you submit a report, the FTC gives you steps to protect yourself or try to get your money back.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/04/reporting-fraud-101-protect-your-community-reporting-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-12"}],"notes":"The FTC collects reports; it does not mediate. A report number is still useful evidence for a card dispute or a state attorney general complaint. ReportFraud.ftc.gov was still the reporting path in an FTC consumer alert dated 2026-08-28."}},{"index":4,"rung":"state_agency","agency_kind":"attorney_general","agencies":"Ask for the person's state, then call find_regulators."}],"known_blockers":["www.mcafee.com refused automated fetches on 2026-10-13, so McAfee's refund policy, auto-renewal terms, account URL and phone hours could not be read directly. Values marked \"search-result text\" need confirming.","Turning off auto-renewal needs sign-in to the McAfee account.","Do not use \"McAfee support\" phone numbers from search results, pop-ups or emails; fake renewal invoices with call-back numbers are a common scam."],"security":{"official_domains":["mcafee.com"],"never_asks":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"McAfee says it will never ask you to confirm personal details and will never require you to call a phone number given in an email or text. Read from search-result text for McAfee's Customer Scam Awareness page on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"known_scams":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"The FTC says tech support scammers \"use the names of well-known companies like Geek Squad, McAfee, and Norton\" and send notices that you were charged hundreds of dollars to renew a subscription. If you call, they ask for remote access, send you to a spoofed refund website, then claim they \"refunded you too much money\" and demand repayment by gift card, wire, crypto or payment app.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"policy","claim":"McAfee describes invoice scams that claim you owe money for a product or service, often with a fake invoice PDF or a request to pay by phone, and recommends signing in at McAfee.com to check your real subscription and renewal status instead of using links in the message. Read from search-result text on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"report_phishing":[{"id":"report-scam-email","type":"email","label":"Report fraudulent emails that use the McAfee brand","value":"scam@mcafee.com","purposes":["fraud"],"notes":"Read from search-result text for McAfee's Customer Scam Awareness page on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"report-scam-phone","type":"phone","label":"McAfee phone line for reporting scams that use the McAfee brand","value":"+1-866-622-3911","purposes":["fraud"],"notes":"Read from search-result text for McAfee's Customer Scam Awareness page on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches. The same number is McAfee's listed phone on its BBB profile.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}]},"credibility":{"grade":"C","primary_share":0.609,"sources":{"primary":14,"reference":3,"other":6},"verified_from":{"page":5,"search_snippet":4},"last_verified":"2026-10-13","oldest_verified":"2026-10-13","stale_items":0,"explanation":"Grade C (use with care: check the source of each value before relying on it). 61% of 23 sources are the organization's own pages or government sites; 4 value(s) were read from a search snippet or an archive copy.","dossier_last_verified":"2026-10-13"},"context":{"dossier":true,"sector_guide":true,"hint":"Call get_context for how this company handles complaints in practice and which scams use its name."},"notes":"www.mcafee.com refused every automated fetch on 2026-10-13 (connection reset), so McAfee's own policy pages could not be read directly. Values marked \"search-result text\" come from search-engine text of McAfee pages on that date; confirm them in the McAfee account or with McAfee before relying on them.","warnings":[]}},"escalation":[{"index":0,"rung":"frontline","channel":{"id":"support-phone","type":"phone","label":"McAfee phone number (listed on McAfee's BBB business profile)","value":"+1-866-622-3911","purposes":["cancel_service","refund_request","unauthorized_charge","billing_error","fraud"],"notes":"The BBB profile for McAfee, LLC (San Jose, CA) lists this number. Hours and phone menu were not checked because mcafee.com blocked automated fetches on 2026-10-13. Call only this number or one shown inside your McAfee account, never a number from an email or invoice.","source":"https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/computer-services/mcafee-llc-1216-1534510/complaints","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}},{"index":1,"rung":"written_complaint","candidate_channels":["support-phone"]},{"index":2,"rung":"payment_dispute","note":"Card dispute for charges after a cancellation.","rules":["fcba-billing-error","efta-reg-e"]},{"index":3,"rung":"regulator","regulator":{"id":"ftc","name":"Federal Trade Commission","level":"federal","when_to_use":"Report fraud, scams, identity theft and unfair or deceptive business practices, such as a company that blocks cancellation. The FTC does not resolve individual cases, so pursue your refund with the company, your card issuer or a state agency at the same time.","channels":[{"id":"reportfraud","type":"web_form","label":"ReportFraud.ftc.gov","value":"https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/","purposes":["fraud","unauthorized_charge","cancel_service"],"notes":"For fraud, scams and bad business practices.","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"identitytheft","type":"web_form","label":"IdentityTheft.gov (identity theft report and recovery plan)","value":"https://www.identitytheft.gov/","purposes":["fraud"],"source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"donotcall","type":"web_form","label":"National Do Not Call Registry (unwanted calls)","value":"https://www.donotcall.gov/","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"consumer-response-center","type":"phone","label":"Consumer Response Center (1-877-FTC-HELP)","value":"+1-877-382-4357","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"headquarters-mail","type":"mail","label":"FTC headquarters mailing address","value":"Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580","notes":"The contact page lists this headquarters address. Online reporting is the documented path for consumer reports.","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"}],"facts":[{"kind":"process","claim":"The FTC and other agencies use reports to investigate and bring cases, but cannot resolve cases for individuals.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/04/reporting-fraud-101-protect-your-community-reporting-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"process","claim":"Reports go into a secure national database that law enforcement can use. FTC investigators, lawyers and analysts review reports to spot patterns and build cases.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2026/08/did-you-spot-scam-heres-what-do-next","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"process","claim":"After you submit a report, the FTC gives you steps to protect yourself or try to get your money back.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/04/reporting-fraud-101-protect-your-community-reporting-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-12"}],"notes":"The FTC collects reports; it does not mediate. A report number is still useful evidence for a card dispute or a state attorney general complaint. ReportFraud.ftc.gov was still the reporting path in an FTC consumer alert dated 2026-08-28."}},{"index":4,"rung":"state_agency","agency_kind":"attorney_general","agencies":"Ask for the person's state, then call find_regulators."}],"security":{"official_domains":["mcafee.com"],"never_asks":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"McAfee says it will never ask you to confirm personal details and will never require you to call a phone number given in an email or text. Read from search-result text for McAfee's Customer Scam Awareness page on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"known_scams":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"The FTC says tech support scammers \"use the names of well-known companies like Geek Squad, McAfee, and Norton\" and send notices that you were charged hundreds of dollars to renew a subscription. If you call, they ask for remote access, send you to a spoofed refund website, then claim they \"refunded you too much money\" and demand repayment by gift card, wire, crypto or payment app.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"policy","claim":"McAfee describes invoice scams that claim you owe money for a product or service, often with a fake invoice PDF or a request to pay by phone, and recommends signing in at McAfee.com to check your real subscription and renewal status instead of using links in the message. Read from search-result text on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"report_phishing":[{"id":"report-scam-email","type":"email","label":"Report fraudulent emails that use the McAfee brand","value":"scam@mcafee.com","purposes":["fraud"],"notes":"Read from search-result text for McAfee's Customer Scam Awareness page on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"report-scam-phone","type":"phone","label":"McAfee phone line for reporting scams that use the McAfee brand","value":"+1-866-622-3911","purposes":["fraud"],"notes":"Read from search-result text for McAfee's Customer Scam Awareness page on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated fetches. The same number is McAfee's listed phone on its BBB profile.","source":"https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}]},"credibility":{"grade":"C","primary_share":0.609,"sources":{"primary":14,"reference":3,"other":6},"verified_from":{"page":5,"search_snippet":4},"last_verified":"2026-10-13","oldest_verified":"2026-10-13","stale_items":0,"explanation":"Grade C (use with care: check the source of each value before relying on it). 61% of 23 sources are the organization's own pages or government sites; 4 value(s) were read from a search snippet or an archive copy.","dossier_last_verified":"2026-10-13"},"dossier":{"title":"McAfee — how complaints actually go","last_verified":"2026-10-13","file":"dossiers/mcafee.md","markdown":"## In short\n\nTurn off auto-renewal in your McAfee account before the payment date, and take a screenshot. McAfee's published policy (seen only in search-result text, because mcafee.com blocked automated reading) allows a refund request within 30 days of a first purchase or 60 days of an automatic renewal for terms of one year or longer. Fake McAfee renewal invoices that tell you to call a number are a common tech support scam: check your statements and sign in to McAfee yourself, and never call the number in the message.\n\n## How complaints actually go\n\n- BBB lists McAfee, LLC (San Jose, California) as not BBB accredited and \"Not Rated,\" with the phone number (866) 622-3911 on its profile. [BBB: McAfee, LLC](https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/computer-services/mcafee-llc-1216-1534510/complaints)\n- Williamson v. McAfee (No. 14-cv-158) and Kirby v. McAfee (No. 14-cv-2475), in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleged that McAfee charged auto-renewal prices higher than it advertised. [Truth in Advertising](https://truthinadvertising.org/class-action/mcafees-automatic-renewals-reference-pricing/)\n- A federal judge granted final approval of the settlement that ended both cases on February 3, 2017. [Mealey's, February 16, 2017](https://www.mealeys.com/mealeys/articles/1622751/class-settlement-approved-in-2-mcafee-antivirus-auto-renewal-suits)\n- Under the settlement, reported at $80 million, auto-renewal class members who paid between January 10, 2010 and February 10, 2015 could get $11.50 in cash or a McAfee value certificate; McAfee denied wrongdoing. [Top Class Actions, July 19, 2016](https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/mcafee-reaches-80m-auto-renewal-pricing-class-action-settlement/)\n- For two years McAfee agreed to add disclosures about its automatic renewals and to use reference prices that meet set requirements, including showing a former price as a discount only if it charged that price within the previous 45 days. These commitments were time-limited. [Truth in Advertising](https://truthinadvertising.org/class-action/mcafees-automatic-renewals-reference-pricing/)\n\n## What tends to work\n\n- Ask for the refund inside the window: McAfee's US refund policy says annual subscribers who ask within 30 days of purchase are eligible, and the most recent automatic renewal charge is refunded in full if you ask within 60 days of the charge. [McAfee: refund policy](https://www.mcafee.com/support/s/article/000001679-refund?language=en_US)\n- If McAfee keeps charging after you turned off auto-renewal, the FTC advises a chargeback with your card company, a follow-up letter by certified mail, and a report to ReportFraud.ftc.gov and your state attorney general. Online renewals are covered by ROSCA (rule `rosca-negative-option`) and, for California consumers, the Automatic Renewal Law (rule `ca-automatic-renewal-law`). [FTC: free trials, auto-renewals and subscriptions](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/getting-and-out-free-trials-auto-renewals-and-negative-option-subscriptions)\n- Before you dispute, check whether the charge is real: the FTC says to look for an actual transaction for a tech support subscription and to contact the company using contact details you know are real. [FTC: tech support scams](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-scams)\n\n## Traps and fine print\n\n- Auto-renewal charges higher than McAfee's advertised prices were the subject of the class settlement approved in 2017, and its marketing commitments ran for only two years. Check the renewal amount in your account before the payment date. [Truth in Advertising](https://truthinadvertising.org/class-action/mcafees-automatic-renewals-reference-pricing/)\n- McAfee does not give prorated refunds, so a request after these windows is likely to be refused. Turn off auto-renewal well before the renewal date. [McAfee: refund policy](https://www.mcafee.com/support/s/article/000001679-refund?language=en_US)\n\n## By the numbers\n\n- BBB reports 450 complaints filed about McAfee, LLC in the last 3 years and 106 customer reviews, as of 2026-10-13. [BBB: McAfee, LLC](https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/computer-services/mcafee-llc-1216-1534510/complaints)\n\n## Scams that target customers\n\n- The FTC says tech support scammers \"use the names of well-known companies like Geek Squad, McAfee, and Norton,\" send notices that you were charged hundreds of dollars to renew, and if you call they ask for remote access, send you to a spoofed refund site, then say they \"refunded you too much money\" and demand repayment by gift card, wire, crypto or payment app. [FTC: tech support scams](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-scams)\n- McAfee describes invoice scams with a fake invoice PDF or a request to pay by phone, says it will never require you to call a number in an email or text, and asks you to check your subscription by signing in at McAfee.com. Read from search-result text on 2026-10-13; mcafee.com blocked automated reading. [McAfee: Customer Scam Awareness](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html)\n- McAfee asks you to report fraudulent emails that use its brand to scam@mcafee.com or 1-866-622-3911 (search-result text, 2026-10-13). [McAfee: Customer Scam Awareness](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/cyber-scam/customer-scam-awareness.html)\n"},"guide":{"key":"subscription","title":"Subscriptions — how complaints work","last_verified":"2026-10-12","file":"guides/subscription.md","page":"https://escalate.alexgaoth.com/#/guides/subscription"}}