Clever Scam by Digital River

tmg11
Contributor
Contributor

A Serena <removed> sent me an email stating that she had accidentally deposited $50 into my PayPal account that she meant to deposit into her friend's account. She asked me to please return the money. I checked my bank and the $50 showed up but I was locked out of my account. Serena sent me another imploring email. I finally took pity on her and approved her request for the PayPal payment.  In doing so, I learned that "Serena" was Digital River and by approving what I thought was a return of her money, I actually had approved a reoccurring payment of $49 to Digital River.  I immediately canceled the transaction. I hope it holds.

 Has anyone else been drawn into this scheme?

 

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16 REPLIES 16

Doubledad
New Community Member

Digital River charged my PP account for $65.90. Called them and they asked for my credit card number because they didn't have a record associated with my email address. SCAM! SCAM! SCAM!

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seodax2friar
Contributor
Contributor

Yes, i to have been scammed by DIGITAL RIVER. This appears to have started when i purchased a years subscription from AVG Security for my PC. 

 

 So annoying when i have always trusted Paypal to keep me secure while shopping online Or sending money gifts to friends abroad..

 

I now have to delete all my cards and details. Bah Humbug ! 

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JohnConnell
New Community Member

I would like to know if it's possible to have PayPal disallow transactions coming from Digital River to take money from my PayPal account. I was scammed the same way another user was, by AVG giving my credit card number to Digital River so they could make bogus charges against my PayPal account which, because it had an insufficient balance to pay the bogus amount, was passed through to my credit card by PayPal. It turns out AVG is worse than the viruses it protected me from because it's doing business with a scam operation and providing them with all the personal info they need to steal money.


@seodax2friar wrote:

Yes, i to have been scammed by DIGITAL RIVER. This appears to have started when i purchased a years subscription from AVG Security for my PC. 

 

 So annoying when i have always trusted Paypal to keep me secure while shopping online Or sending money gifts to friends abroad..

 

I now have to delete all my cards and details. Bah Humbug ! 



I have uninstalled all it's software from my computer, including the scammy Avast shopping browser hijacking software. Don't use AVG and if you do, for sure don't buy anything from them -- just stick with free AVG. 

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soberguy81
Contributor
Contributor
Ripped by avg. what does PayPal do about it? My acc’t was ripped for eighty bucks. It was stolen by digital river. I did not consent to purchasing anything and PayPal has no solution? Merry
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kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@soberguy81 

 

Check if you had a subscription set up...
Click on the profile tab (icon next to log out) > Click on payments third option along on the thick blue band top of page > "manage pre-approved payments''.


Advice is voluntary.
Kudos / Solution appreciated.
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Dallasbutterfly
Contributor
Contributor
I’ve just discovered I’m in similar situation with Digital River charging for AVG even though I discontinued that subscription over 2 years ago. How do I fight it to get my money returned and why hasn’t PayPal, who I never used to pay AVG, stopping this company from processing payments?!?
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kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@Dallasbutterfly 


Digital river is an ecommerce payment company. They don't fraudulently take your money. They partner with companies like Samsung, Microsoft, razr, McAfee, avast, etc. If you buy from those websites, your charge may show up as from digital river. They also handle subscriptions.

 

A lot of times what happens is people accept a free trial for a product, like anti virus, and forget to cancel and it auto renews. Be careful what you are accepting Again...Digital river just handles the orders and payments submitted by partner companies.

 

Check if you STILL have a subscription set up that you need to cancel?
Click on the profile tab (icon next to log out) > Click on payments third option along on the thick blue band top of page > "manage pre-approved payments''.


Advice is voluntary.
Kudos / Solution appreciated.
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ideasgirl
Contributor
Contributor

There are so many things wrong with this company, I'll explain quoting your "defenses":

1-"A lot of times what happens is people accept a free trial for a product"

I paid for my trial in discount (not a free trial), so I paid for the service for 6 months.

 

2-"Check if you STILL have a subscription set up that you need to cancel?"

There was no way to unsubscribe the service for next billing on Paypal neither in my account in their website. So I called them.

 

3-"and forget to cancel and it auto renews"

I called and asked to cancel my subscription because there's no way to cancel it through Paypal, neither through their website, they responded that if I cancel that day, my service will be cancelled that they as well. Really? Remember, I PAID for the service for 6 months. I'll repeat: if I cancel that day my subscription for RENEWAL, they will cancel the service of the software that I already PAID for the 6 months.

 

Last month I remembered that I had to cancel, but then decided to use the software once more before cancelling. I had a personal situation where I got sidetracked and didn't use the service again, and didn't get to cancel.

 

Now, I don't only have 1 renewal, I got 2 charges from them which I really don't know what are they for because I only bought 1 service.

 

This company needs to be stopped OR make their subscriptions within Paypal POSSIBLE to be cancelled, like any other subscription service.

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hankster1
Contributor
Contributor

Digital River has billed me for two years of Kaspersky service after I thought I had cancelled. It is literally impossible to cancel online, and Kaspersky phone numbers do not work. Truly. They are now into me for Two years at $90.73 each. Of course I have notified my credit card company so it is now a "dispute". Only $180 but how many tens of thousands of people are they doing this with. Cannot contact Digital River Inc either. Just tried. I don't have a "business" email. And I don't have a cancellation #. Of course I don't - they won't accept a cancellation #. We need a good class action suit.

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