Michigander Falls Victim To Roku Activation Scam
You would think that with everything we've been through this past year scammers would take a break but apparently, that's not the case.
With streaming being at an all time high now, it was just a matter of time before scammers went after individuals trying to set up their new services. Southfield resident, Maureen McDonald was the latest victim of a Roku scam and lost $189.99.
McDonald bought a new Roku and was in the process of trying to set up her device when an alert popped up telling her to call an 800 number for help activating her device. She told the Detroit Free Press that the alert didn't look fake and even spoke to a "representative."
For help, call this number — and that's what I called. It looked normal; it did. I call up and then there's this guy David. The guy was actually kind of helpful.
After gaining McDonald's trust, he offered a lifetime full service plan for $189.99. Under the impression that she was buying a lifetime supply of software and services, McDonald signed up and paid him with a debit card over the phone.
That's not even the real kicker. After hanging up, he called her again threatening her. The scammer told her that if she didn't pay, her service would be turned off. That's when McDonald realized that the first time payment was a scam.
According to the Better Business Bureau there's been a few reports of Roku Tech Support Scams. A few years ago, they issued a warning about Roku TV's saying that "even smart televisions can be compromised by tech savvy schemes."