Scam Alert: Grammarly Premium Lifetime Subscription
In “Microsoft Office 365 Lifetime Subscription?” I warned against paying for the so-called Microsoft Office 365 lifetime subscriptions. Today I want to warn you of another scam. In this particular scam, scammers sell login details for hacked Grammarly Premium Accounts. After much research about this issue, I have decided to reveal my findings to the world. Here’s what I discovered.
Spot a hacked Grammarly Premium Account
Lucrative price is the most obvious characteristic of a hacked Grammarly Premium account. While a genuine premium subscription costs at least LKR 30,000/- the approximate value of a hacked account is 1,500/-. (depending on the currency exchange rate. The standard value of a premium account is 139.92 US Dollars. A hacked account costs around 7.71 US Dollars). On eBay, the lowest price is 8.53 US Dollars. If you ask the seller why the price is so low, they will explain it’s a shared account. Yes, it’s a shared account but shared without the legitimate owner’s consent!
The next characteristic is the inability to use your own username and password. This is because the account you received is a stolen good that doesn’t belong to you. This is why the scammers instruct not to change the password or the warranty will be void. The real reason is that a change of password will alert the legitimate owner of the account. Featured below is a screenshot of a list of hacked accounts and their login details. I discovered it in the possession of a scammer while doing research for this blog post.
Grammarly resellers are just online Scammers
The majority of these scammers impose resellers for Grammarly. The truth is Grammarly doesn’t have any resellers. They have affiliates who promote the product to their online audiences but that’s it. Beware that you cannot use these hacked accounts for very long. The owners change the passwords when they find out locking you out. You can’t claim a refund because by this time the scammer has closed shop and disappeared.
The majority of these scammers impose as resellers for Grammarly. The truth is Grammarly doesn’t have any resellers. They have affiliates who promote the product to their online audiences but that’s it. Beware that you cannot use these hacked accounts for very long. The owners change the passwords when they find out locking you out. You can’t claim a refund because by this time the scammer has closed shop and disappeared. Scammers can even trick you into paying for a Grammarly-free account. You will not know until you pay because you don’t get the login details until the payment is complete.
Hacked Grammarly Premium Accounts are Risky
Grammarly has extensions for Microsoft Office, most web browsers, and an app for Smartphones. Most users however use the Grammarly online editor or the Desktop Editor to which they copy and paste the text which needs checking. When using a hacked account all the text you copy and paste to the Editor is visible to everyone using that account. This is unavoidable because scammers don’t hesitate to sell a single account to multiple users.
Guarding Your Grammarly Premium Account
Last but not least if you have a Grammarly Premium account guard it against hackers. You don’t have to be an expert to know how to do it. You can protect your account in two easy steps. The first rule of thumb is to use a unique and strong password. I use LastPass Password Generator Tool. Second, enable Two Factor Authentication. Additionally, install reliable Antivirus Software and keep it up to date. I recommend Avast (Free Edition)
Wrap Up
Grammarly is a very useful app if you take your writing seriously. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford it. Especially for us in Sri Lanka a third-world, developing nation. It’s the major reason why a market for hacked accounts exists in the first place. However, a hacked account isn’t worth your efforts because it can cost you much more than money.
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