OMG, I’ve had a few comments that people were paying an activation fee to use their Roku Device. I own a Roku device and I never paid an activation fee to use my device.
Roku device allows your television to stream movies and TV shows through the Internet. If you think about your tablet or smart phone, you have apps that you can download. That’s is the same thing that Roku does except their apps are mainly for television.
Yes, you purchase the device, but after that, the only payments required to use your Roku are the apps that require a fee. There are free apps that you can download, but there are apps that charge a fee such as Netflix as an example.
I Personally Called To Confirm
I want everyone to know that there is NO!!! Activation fee to use any Roku devices Please do not give out any credit info over the phone.
If you have to speak to a rep regarding your Roku service, call this number 408-556-9391 and a recording will give you the proper number to contact customer service at Roku.
Here is where you can report to Roku about any fraud charges!
The safest rout to take is to not give out any of your credit info over the phone, your best bet is to just say no!
When you are in the activation process of setting up your Roku device, there is a verification number to activate your device.
Roku displays a verification number on your TV when you are going through the activation process.
Within that activation process, Roku will explain the website address that you will need to go to.
You are supposed to enter these numbers into the website in order to activate your device. There is NO activation FEE.
I even asked the rep straight up, is there an activation fee of $100 or any amount of money.
The Rep told me no.
If people were to create a Roku account and wanted to add their credit info, there may be a $1 or less fee and that fee would be reimbursed.
The reason why Roku does this is to verify that you are the owner of that credit account you entered.
The way it works is that Roku will charge a fee, like let say 50 cents and you would verify the exact amount that Roku charged into your preferred credit account.
Once Verified, Roku will then deposit that money back into your account.
Another note I want to point out is that a lot of sites do this such as PayPal to verify that you are the owner of that particular financial insinuation’s account that you prefer to use.
Other than that, there is no $10, $20, $50, $100 activation fee to use Roku. There is no activation fee AT ALL
Again, please do not pay an activation fee to use Roku!!!
Did I tell you enough times that there Is NO Activation fee to use Roku? If I didn’t, I will do it again, Lol.
What Is Going On?
Mainly what is happening is that people are going to websites that are created by scammers that replicate Roku’s website.
These scammers lie and say that there is an activation fee or try to get other info such as…
- SSN
- Credit info
- Date of Birth
- Passwords
- Email Addresses
- Get Access to your computer
- They even claim they offer support for Roku.
If for any reason you are having difficulty setting up your account, your best bet is to call this number ( 1-888-600-7658) and have a rep help you activate your Roku device.
I Personally Don’t Recommend
This is my personal preference and I will say it. I personally didn’t feel comfortable adding my credit info into my Roku account.
That’s why I blogged about creating a Roku account without using your credit info.
If you prefer…
- Netflix
- Amazon Prime
- Hulu
- any other app services that charge a fee
I would recommend you go to their website and set up your payment info there. You are able to download the preferred app that you like to use into your Roku device.
Once you download your preferred app, all you have to do is enter your username or email address and password. Once you do that, you are able to use the app that you prefer without entering any credit info on the television.
Roku Is Aware Of The Scam
On Roku’s website, they are very aware of what is going on. There are a number of fraudulent support sites and you can read about it on Roku’s website.
If you were a victim of such scam, the very first thing that you should do is report it to your credit institution.
Let them know exactly what happened and hopefully, they are able to stop the charges or even reverse the charges.
I also recommend reporting the incident to Roku.
Why Does This Bother Me
I’m upset about this because there are so many scams online. Good companies that offer great services to people can be tainted because of a scam.
Being able to do business online is a convenience for a lot of us. I’ve been around before the Internet started and I feel that the Internet is a great way to get things done that doesn’t require a lot of running around.
No, I’m not lazy, but convenience is great. Not only that, services that allow us to save money is a great thing.
Unfortunately, what comes with good bad is always right behind. Getting the word out about these scam does help. So please again if you are a victim of this crime, please report it to Roku and don’t forget to contact your credit company as well.
Conclusion
Doesn’t it feel like once we let our guard down, we have to put it up again? It seems like scams are getting more sophisticated and it just doesn’t seem to end.
People sit behind these screens and can even pollute what seems so simple such as even our emails being compromised.
Anytime credit info is required, it’s best to do your research first. It’s not a bad idea to say can I get back to you and do your research first before giving out your credit info.
I’ve seen so many different types of Internet scams online and it’s quite sad that people get taken all the time from different schemes.
Anyhow, if you have any questions or comments about this Roku cyber crime (no I’m not going to be polite and call it something else, such as third party website, please!) feel free to let me know below. Please stay safe!