Security and good practice: spotting a scam before you pay

This guide is written in our own interest as much as yours: dubious sellers damage the whole sector. Here are the signals that should put you on alert, and the simple checks worth making before paying for a subscription — with us or with anyone else.

The nine warning signs

1. You are asked for a personal password (Google, Apple, Amazon, email). No legitimate service needs one. This is the most serious signal of all.
2. You are asked for full banking credentials or a code received by text. A verification code should never be shared, with anyone.
3. A countdown or a "last spot available" appears to rush you. Artificial scarcity exists to prevent you from thinking.
4. No terms and no refund policy are published, or they cannot be found.
5. Promises are absolute: "everything", "guaranteed", "never any interruption". Nobody can guarantee permanent availability of content they do not produce.
6. The seller will not answer before payment. Someone who ignores you before the sale will not be more present after it.
7. The price is far below the whole market with no explanation. A few dollars for several years is rarely sustainable.
8. You are asked for remote access to your computer when you requested nothing.
9. The website address changes often, or contact runs only through an account created last week.

What nobody should ever ask you for

• The password to any of your personal accounts.
• A card PIN, or its security code sent by message.
• A verification code received by text or email.
• Photos of both sides of an identity document for a simple subscription.
• Installation of unsolicited remote-control software.

Checks worth making before you pay

1. Ask a precise technical question (compatibility with your exact model, number of connections, how renewal works). The quality of the answer tells you more than any sales page.
2. Read the legal pages. Their existence and clarity is a simple, reliable indicator.
3. Start short. A three-month plan limits your exposure while you verify stability at home.
4. Keep a written record of what was promised: length, price, number of connections.
5. Check that the advertised price is the final price, with no fees added at payment time.

Protecting your access after the purchase

• Do not share your credentials. Beyond the terms of service, credentials that circulate end up suspended — and you are the one who loses access.
• Install apps from the device's official store where possible, rather than a file received by message.
• Be wary of "free" apps promising the same content: they are a common vehicle for intrusive advertising and unwanted software.
• Keep your device updated. System updates close vulnerabilities that are genuinely exploited.

In summary

The most effective rule fits in one sentence: if you are asked for a password, a verification code or remote access, stop immediately. Beyond that, one precise question asked before buying and a short first subscription are enough to avoid the large majority of bad surprises.

Read next

• How to choose an IPTV service in Canada
• How to troubleshoot IPTV connection issues