The Internet Service Provider Discount Scam usually arrives via text or phone call, offering 40-50% off your Internet Services Provider (ISP) bill. You’ll also see it occasionally for cellphone services.

Of course, this is not from said provider. If you call the number given in the text or voice mail, they offer you a 40-50% discount… if you pay the entire year in advance by means such as crypto, gift card, or wire transfer. Of course you’ll never see the money again. There could be more nefarious versions of this scam that are designed to access your bank account, but so far this scam seems designed only to part you from as much money as you’re willing to give them.

A sample of this is below, mentioning Spectrum, an ISP in America, though variations with Comcast/Xfinity and Telestra have been seen as well.

How to protect yourself
Along with the standard advice to delete and ignore, observe the red flags. No provider is going to give you a 40-50% discount, even if you pay yearly! Also, if it was a legit offer, they’d direct you to call the customer service/sales line for the ISP, not a random phone number. In the case above, the phrasing of the message sounds very weird to American ears and is more typical of the English taught in former British colonies.