• Get all the details before you decide to subscribe. The cost may be described as “pennies a month” but you need to know the length of the subscription commitment and the total cost. Legitimate companies will give you all the details upfront and never insist that you act immediately.

• Be cautious about unsolicited emails.  They are often fraudulent. If you are familiar with the company that sent you the email and you don’t want to receive further messages, send a reply asking to be removed from the email list. However, responding to unknown senders may simply verify that yours is a working email address and result in even more unwanted messages from strangers. The best approach may simply be to delete the email.  

• Be wary of “free prizes.” They’re not free if you have to buy magazines to get them.

• Know the cancellation policy. Some subscription services don’t allow cancellations once they have placed the orders with the publishers.

• Watch out for imposters. Crooks may pretend to be acting on behalf of well-known magazine publishers, when they have absolutely no connection with them at all and will simply pocket your money.

• Don’t give your credit card or bank account information unless you’re making a payment. There is no reason why the company would need that information for any other purpose.

• Check the prices. It might be cheaper to buy the magazines directly from the publishers than through a subscription service.

If you need advice about an Internet or telemarketing solicitation, or you want to report a possible scam, use the Online Reporting Form or call the NFIC hotline at 1-800-876-7060.

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