Spotify scam email: payment problem

Reported as phishing

This email was reported as phishing in November 2026. It claims to come from: Spotify. It was aimed at Switzerland, Germany and written in German, French.

This email was reported as phishing. It uses the Spotify name and look, but it did not come from Spotify. If you have an account, Spotify is not asking you to act through this email.

This email uses the Spotify name and says your Premium payment failed, so your account will drop to the free plan with ads unless you update your payment details. It came in German and in French, aimed at people in Switzerland and Germany. Each version has one button to update your payment or get help. To look genuine, it copies Spotify footer text and a real company address.

Many people pay for a music plan by card, and a failed payment is a normal event, so the story sounds plausible. Losing your ad-free music adds urgency. The best tell is the button: it leads to a site that is not spotify.com, and the sender address is not on a Spotify domain. If there were a real payment problem, you could see it by signing in to the app yourself.

• Aimed at: Switzerland, Germany
• Month reported: November 2026
• Email language: German, French

What the email looks like

Re-typed from the original with personal details removed. This is not the original email. This was a button in the original email. Here it is only a picture of the text and does nothing.

Subject line

• Leider ist ein Problem mit der Zahlung aufgetreten
• Problème de facturation détecté
• Problème avec votre dernier paiement

Red flags

• Sender address is not on a Spotify domain
• Urgent threat: your Premium plan will be downgraded unless you pay now
• The "update payment" button leads to a site that is not spotify.com
• Copies Spotify footer text and a real company address to look genuine
• Same lure in German and French

Links in the email (shown as plain text)

Links are defanged: "hxxp" and "[.]" stop them from working. Never retype them or copy them into your browser.

What to do

1. Do not click the "update payment" button or any link in the email, and do not reply.
2. Do not open attachments. Never type a password, card number or code on a page you reached from this email.
3. If you are unsure, open the music app or type the service's address yourself, not through the email.
4. Check your plan and payment details only by signing in to the official app or website directly.
5. Mark the email as phishing or spam in your mail app, then delete it.
6. If you already entered card details, contact your bank now. If you entered your password, change it and turn on two-step sign-in.

How to report it

In your mail app, use "Report phishing" or "Report junk" so the app learns to block similar emails. You can also forward the email to the real company's abuse or security team, using an address from its official website. If you lost money, report it to your bank and to your local police.

More scam email examples

• German police: Fake summons - answer within 72 hours
• Your email provider: "Your email password will expire in 24 hours" - keep current password
• Atatürk University: Email access update required - log in to keep your mailbox

These emails did not come from the companies or services they name. Brand names belong to their owners and are shown only to help you recognise the scam.