Anti-virus firm McAfee seems to be sending junk emails

I received a flood of renewal demands and unsubscribing doesn’t work

I cancelled my McAfee anti-virus subscription earlier this year when I discovered it had been double charging me. It refunded only the current year and led me on a wild goose chase to recover the previous two years’ money; I eventually gave up.

Now that my subscription period has ended, it is bombarding me with renewal demand emails several times a day. This weekend I received 15.

Unsubscribing doesn’t work and, in fact, seems to generate more.

MN, by email

I asked McAfee about your experience and, in fairness, it came back very quickly to explain that it had, in fact, repaid you for the previous year’s overcharge.

You were adamant that it hadn’t, but after many emails, and much checking of accounts, we were finally able to establish that the money had been paid into your bank. The confusion was that your statement showed it as coming from F/Flow Sutherland, rather than the more obvious McAfee.

In terms of the emails, the company has confirmed that the messages you are being sent are not from it. Instead, they are from scammers posing as McAfee, trying to gain your bank card details. Your email system should block or treat them as spam if you ask it to.

• Last week’s letter on driving licences has predictably prompted a wave of similar ones. Sadly, I can’t take up every complaint as much as I would like to help. Instead, I would urge readers whose licences are stranded in Swansea to contact their MP. Until MPs start putting pressure on ministers, this ridiculous situation won’t get resolved.

We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include a phone number. We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number. Submission and publication of all letters is subject to our terms and conditions.

Contributor

Miles Brignall

The GuardianTramp

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