Is McAfee a Scam?

If you’re thinking of using McAfee, you need to know: Is McAfee a scam? 

Below, we explain whether McAfee is a scam and discuss some steps you can take to improve your safety when using this company. 

What Is McAfee?

McAfee is a company that provides cybersecurity products designed to protect your digital life, i.e., computers, smartphones, etc., from online threats like malware. 

Its offerings include:

• Antivirus protection. Detects and removes viruses, malware, and other malicious software.
• VPN services. Provides a secure connection to protect your online privacy when using public Wi-Fi.
• Identity theft protection. Monitors your personal information to prevent unauthorized use.
• Parental controls. Helps manage and monitor your family’s online activities for safer internet usage.
• Enterprise solutions. Offers advanced security solutions for businesses, including endpoint protection, cloud security, and network security.

McAfee was founded in 1987 by John McAfee and is headquartered in San Jose, California.

Is McAfee a Scam?

No, McAfee is not a scam. 

It’s a reputable and established company in the cybersecurity industry that provides security solutions to protect individuals and businesses from digital threats. 

McAfee products consistently receive positive evaluations from third parties, including PCMag, TechRadar, Tom’s Guide, and PCWorld.   

However, user reviews of McAfee are less good. 

For example, when it comes to McAfee’s antivirus, users complain about:

• Seemingly never-ending pop-ups that urge them to upgrade services or renew subscriptions. 
• The difficulty of removing McAfee from their systems.
• The AV consuming significant system resources (and slowing down computer performance).
• Inaccurate virus detections & inconsistent scanning results.

A small number of users defend McAfee’s effectiveness in malware detection and acknowledge its comprehensive protection features, but overall, negative user reviews prevail (both when it comes to personal use and business use). 

Like other big brands, McAfee can also be imitated by cybercriminals who send fraudulent messages, mimicking genuine McAfee communications. 

Here’s an example of a fraudulent message (see more examples here). 

McAfee recommends looking out for spelling and grammar mistakes, suspicious links or attachments, and unsolicited personal or financial information requests. Genuine McAfee communications will not ask for sensitive data through these channels.

Security

In its privacy policy, McAfee says it takes “steps” to keep your information safe, but it does not specify what these steps are.

Privacy 

In its privacy policy, McAfee outlines the kind of data it collects, the purposes it uses this data for, and whom it shares it with. 

McAfee collects:

• Data you provide directly (e.g., name, email address, country or state, payment information, billing address, information provided during survey participation, information submitted through interactive features like comments, product purchase history, demographic details, etc.) 
• Data collected automatically (e.g., IP address, cookie identifiers, mobile carrier information, approximate location, pages visited, frequency and duration of activities, diagnostic information about device performance, information through cookies and similar technologies, social media interactions, etc.) 
• Data collected from other sources (e.g., identity verification information from credit reference agencies to assess fraud or security risks, transaction details from payment processors to facilitate payments for services, and information from third-party applications, social networking sites, etc.)
• Data from specific products and features (e.g., device ID, IP address, etc., from McAfee antivirus). 

It may use this information to provide its services, run its business, for marketing and advertising, with your consent, and for other purposes (like automated decision-making). 

McAfee may share your information with service providers, professional advisors, credit reference agencies, payment processors and banks, insurers, government authorities and law enforcement, business partners, affiliates, advertising and analytics partners, APIs/SDKs, and other users or third parties you share or interact with. 

It also outlines your privacy choices and user rights. For example, you can update your personal information anytime by logging into your McAfee account or turn off location tracking by changing your device settings. 

External privacy policy review sites like Terms of Service; Didn’t Read (ToS;DR) have not graded McAfee’s privacy policies at the time of writing. 

However, ToS;DR lists some potential concerns relating to McAfee’s privacy policy. 

These include the following: 

• Private messages can be read.
• Many different types of personal data are collected.
• The service can disclose your personal information without notifying you.
• Information about you is gathered through third parties.
• Your personal data may be used for marketing purposes.

On a more positive note, ToS;DR says that the service provides details about the kind of data it collects and how it uses it. 

So, Should You Use McAfee?

Depends on your needs and preferences.

If you’re looking for a wide range of security features and multi-device coverage and are willing to put up with potential performance issues and aggressive marketing practices, McAfee might be a good choice. 

However, if you value system performance, prefer a less intrusive user experience, or have concerns about data privacy, you may want to look at other options and compare them to McAfee. 

How to Use McAfee Safely 

Here are some tips for a safer experience with McAfee.

• Download McAfee products from official sources. Always download McAfee software directly from the official McAfee website or authorized retailers. Avoid downloading from third-party sites to prevent accidentally installing malicious versions.
• Turn on automatic updates. This helps ensure McAfee always has the latest virus definitions and security patches. 
• Confirm your McAfee software is running correctly. McAfee has instructions on its site on how to do so. 
• Adjust settings to reduce intrusive notifications. Adjust McAfee’s notification settings to minimize unnecessary pop-ups. 
• Understand subscription terms. Make sure you’re aware of your subscription details, including renewal dates and pricing. This helps prevent unexpected charges. You can change or cancel auto-renewal.  
• Scheduled scans. Set up regular system scans (daily or weekly) to ensure continuous protection against threats.
• Review McAfee’s privacy policy. Doing so means you know what personal information McAfee collects, why, and whom it shares it with. 
• Be on the alert for phishing and imposter scams. McAfee will never ask for sensitive information (like passwords or credit card details) via email or unsolicited messages. Don’t click on links or download attachments from unknown or unexpected emails claiming to be from McAfee.
• Property uninstall McAfee. If you decide to remove McAfee, make sure you do so correctly. McAfee has instructions to ensure safe removal.