Verizon Reward scam: what the survey is and how to deal with it
The "Verizon Reward" survey is a fake offer that uses Verizon's name to promise a prize, for example $90, for answering questions about your mobile experience. There is no prize: delete the message or close the tab, type nothing, and use the steps below if you already did.
Facts checked October 6, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation.
Automatic
Get a free scan and check if your PC is infected.
Fortect finds malware, unwanted programs and the Windows damage they leave behind, and repairs it in one pass.
Do it yourself · free Remove Verizon Reward scam yourself 3 steps, about 9 minutes, no software needed.
Verizon Reward scam: summary
| Type | Fake reward survey in Verizon's name, spread by e-mail, text and scam pages; not a virus and not an offer from Verizon |
|---|---|
| Risk | High if you gave personal or payment details or installed something; low if you only closed the tab |
| Symptoms | An e-mail "you are the chosen one!" or a "Shopper Survey" page with a $90 promo reward, a Take Survey Now or Confirm Now button, a deadline of today, and a form that asks for your details; it may reopen from ads or spam |
| How to get rid of it | Delete the message or close the tab and type nothing; remove any app you installed in Installed apps, drop notification permissions and unknown extensions, and secure what you typed |
| Our check (6 October 2026) | A desk check: no page opened and no site test; the survey domain in our 2021 pictures was registered again on 29 June 2024 |
| First seen | Our screenshots are dated 1 and 6 May 2021; our guide came out 30 March 2022 |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 11 more facts
| Name | Verizon Reward scam (a reward offer, not a program) |
|---|---|
| Address in 2021 | includingfuture.com; other addresses are possible |
| Distribution | Spam e-mail, text messages, scam pages and ads; unwanted programs can also open it (old guide) |
| Damage | Personal details given to scammers, phishing and spam that follow, unwanted programs, and money if a fee is paid |
| Domain registered | 29 June 2024 |
| Evidence | 2 reports from affected users and security sites; details still limited |
| Imitates | Verizon |
| Domains | includingfuture[.]com |
| Arrives through | E-mail, text, ad or redirect |
| Promised prize | $90 promo reward for a survey about mobile experiences (our old guide also mentions up to 4 million dollars in total) |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Facts checked on 6 October 2026 against Verizon's security pages, the FTC and the .com registry answer for includingfuture.com. We did not open the live page or follow the survey; what happens after the claim step comes from our old 2022 guide and is marked as such.
What the Verizon Reward survey is
The "Verizon Reward" survey is a fake reward offer. A page or an e-mail uses the Verizon name to promise a prize, for example $90, for a short survey about your mobile experience, and then asks for personal details or sends you on to other sites. Nothing on it comes from Verizon, and no prize waits at the end.
- What it claims
- A "promo reward" of $90 in our screenshots, in exchange for a survey about your mobile experiences. Our old guide says the message spoke of up to 4 million dollars in prizes in total
- How it starts
- An e-mail headed "you are the chosen one!" with a Confirm Now button, or a "Shopper Survey" page with a Verizon logo and a Take Survey Now button
- What it is
- A lure. The survey is there to collect your answers and contact details, and to pass you to other offers, not to pay anyone
- What it is not
- A message from Verizon, and not a virus by itself. Opening the page or the e-mail installs nothing; the risk is in what you type and what you click next
- What to do
- Delete the e-mail or close the tab, and type nothing. If you already answered, clicked on or downloaded something, use the steps further down
What the Verizon Reward scam page looks like
Shopper Survey - We Want Your...
Congratulations!
$90 promo reward
Please tell us about your Mobile experiences, and as a thank you, you can select from several exclusive offer rewards!
This offer is available for today only: May 06, 2021.
Take Survey Now
What the Verizon Reward scam scammers want
Our check on 6 October 2026
Verizon Reward survey · desk check · 6 October 2026 · no page was opened
- Live pageNot opened for this rewrite. We have no site test, so we cannot say which survey, redirect or ad network is served today, or whether the offer is still running.
- includingfuture.comThis is the address in our May 2021 screenshots. The .com registry (Verisign) shows it registered on 29 June 2024, which is after our screenshots, so the 2021 page sat on an earlier registration of the name or the name has changed hands. We cannot say who runs it now or what it shows.
- The offer dateThe page says the offer is "available for today only: May 06, 2021" and shows the same date at the top. That fits a date filled in on every visit; we did not time the page ourselves.
- The sender of the e-mailIn our screenshot the display name reads ".Verizon." but the address behind it is a string of random letters on a domain ending in .mp, and the reply-to is a free Gmail address. Verizon's own pages say it will never ask for personal or account information by e-mail or text message.
- Other pages of the same kindWe have not followed the survey to its end, so we do not know where the "claim" step leads. Our old guide says it leads to more redirects.
Fake reward offer The offer is a scam whatever a test shows: a prize that needs a survey, a deadline of today and your details is the pattern the FTC lists. This is a desk check, not a visit. Nothing seen on one future visit would clear it, because such pages change what they show by country, device, referrer and time.
The e-mail and the survey, line by line
| What it says | What is really going on |
|---|---|
| E-mail subject: "you are the chosen one!", then "You have been selected - Verizon.com" and "CONGRATULATIONS" | One greeting for every recipient. Our old guide says you may not be a Verizon customer at all and still receive it. The FTC says scammers make it seem you are the only winner when the same message went to many people. |
| "This email was only to 10 selected customers in your area" and "You are one of the current customers to win an exclusive Verizon reward" | A message cannot know where you live or whether you are a customer. The number 10 is a device to make you feel picked. Check online whether others got the same text. |
| "All your have to do is confirm receipt of this email" with a Confirm Now button and "Offer will expire at: 23:59" | The button tells the sender your address is live, and the deadline is pressure: the FTC lists "act now" among the marks of a prize scam. The grammar slip ("All your have") is in our screenshot. |
| Survey page: "Shopper Survey - We Want Your..." with the Verizon logo and a first question, "You are?" with Male, Female and Other | A first easy question draws you in and a row of seven dots shows progress. The first answers are about you, not about a phone service. The page carries the logo, which is the easiest part to copy. |
| "Please tell us about your Mobile experiences, and as a thank you, you can select from several exclusive offer rewards!" | Note "select from several offer rewards": the reward is a menu of other companies' offers, not money from Verizon. Our old guide says the next step is to "claim" the prize, and that this is where more redirects and data collection begin. |
| "$90 promo reward" and "This offer is available for today only: May 06, 2021" | The amount is bait and the date is the day of the visit. The FTC's rule: if you have to pay or give financial or personal information to get a prize, it is a scam. |
Our old guide lists the survey as one of many that turn up under the same name, with a prize that changes: $90 in our pictures, a larger sum in other copies. The pattern, not the amount, is what to look for.
How the offer and the guide went
1 May 2021
The e-mail in our screenshot
The e-mail we captured is dated 5/1/2021 and shows the .Verizon. display name, the "you are the chosen one!" subject and a Confirm Now button.
The e-mail as received, dated 5/1/2021. The woman at the right and the dark background are artwork from our 2021 guide; the recipient's name is blurred in our picture. 6 May 2021
The survey on includingfuture.com
Our captures show the "Shopper Survey" page with the Verizon logo and the first question, and the $90 offer page, both dated May 06, 2021.
The start of the survey (left) and the offer page (right), both dated May 06, 2021. The background is our 2021 artwork. 30 March 2022
Our first guide
We published the guide, which described the survey as a scheme that promises prizes for filling in a survey and spreads through scam pages, ad-supported platforms and spam e-mail. We did not change it afterwards.
29 June 2024
The survey domain registered again
The registry shows includingfuture.com created on this date, so the name in our 2021 screenshots was re-registered about three years after we captured it.
6 October 2026
Our desk check
We ran no site test and opened no page, so we cannot speak to what the offer does today.
The real risks, from most to least serious
- High
Giving personal or payment details
Our old guide says the survey ends with a form for your mobile number, address or even financial details. The FTC's rule: if you must give financial or personal information to claim a prize, it is a scam. What you type can be used to target you with phishing, or sold on.
- High
Phishing that follows
Verizon warns about phishing e-mails and texts in its name that ask for a username, password, account PIN or card details. Once your address or number is known, expect more of them, and sometimes with details you gave in the survey, which makes them look real.
- Medium
Being sent on to other sites
Our old guide says that after the survey you must "claim" the prize and that further redirects follow, some to data-collection pages and some advertising third-party software. We have not followed the chain, so we cannot say what is at the end today.
- Medium
Unwanted programs and malware
The FTC says links in prize messages can download malware. Our old guide says the scam can lead to unknowingly installing malicious content; we have no sample, so this is the possible worst case, not what we saw.
- Medium
Spam and lost privacy
The FTC says contest promoters may sell your information to advertisers, and you can expect targeted ads, promotional mail and calls. This follows the survey answers even if nothing is installed.
- Low
Money
Our old guide counts financial loss among the results. The FTC says real prizes are free, so any fee, "tax" or shipping charge to collect one is a scam. Our screenshots show no payment step.
If you answered the survey or gave your details
- 1
Write down what you gave
List what you typed: name, e-mail, mobile number, address, date of birth, card details. Each item decides the next step below.
- 2
Card or bank details
Call your bank or card issuer today, block the card and dispute any charge you do not recognise (What to do after paying a scammer). Check the statement again over the next weeks.
- 3
A password
If you typed a password on any of the pages, change it everywhere you use it, starting with your e-mail, and turn on two-step verification (Turn on two-step verification / secure a hacked account).
- 4
Your phone number or address
Expect spam calls, texts and mail about prizes, parcels or your phone plan. Do not answer them and do not call numbers they give. Verizon says that if you clicked or gave personal information in reply to a suspicious message you should contact its customer support, which can help secure your account.
- 5
Check your Verizon account yourself
Sign in by typing verizon.com or opening the My Verizon app, not through any link in a message, and look for changes or charges you did not make. Verizon's security page says to dial *611 from a Verizon phone if you suspect your account was changed.
- 6
Identity
If a scammer may have used your identity details, go to IdentityTheft.gov for the steps the FTC gives.
Why Verizon Reward scam opens in your browser
How the offer reaches you
| Route | What happens | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| An e-mail | Our old guide says the offer arrives after you click spam e-mails with the same message about a giveaway or extra prizes, and that you need not be a Verizon customer to get one. Our screenshot is of such an e-mail. | Do not click Confirm Now. Forward it to phishing@verizon.com, which is the address Verizon gives, then delete it. |
| A text message | Our old guide says personalised scams can come to your phone once details are given in the survey. Verizon says it will never ask for personal or account information by text message. | Do not reply or click. Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) and delete it. |
| Scam pages and ads | Our old guide says the scheme is promoted through other scammy pages and ad-supported platforms, and that a click can pass you on to further pages. | Close the tab. Report the ad in the app or site that showed it. |
| An extension or an unwanted program | Our old guide ties these pages to adware and unwanted programs that arrive with free software and fake updates, and that make pop-ups and redirects appear. Seeing the page does not prove the device is infected, and we could not confirm that any program sends this page today. | Check the extensions list and Installed apps for anything you did not add, especially if the pages return by themselves. |
How to keep reward offers away
Do
- Check an offer with Verizon itself: open verizon.com or the My Verizon app by typing the address, not from the message.
- Forward suspicious e-mail to phishing@verizon.com and suspicious texts to 7726 (SPAM), then delete them.
- Download programs only from the maker's own site or your system's store; free-software sites often bundle extra offers.
- Pick Custom or Advanced when you install free software, read the full list of what comes with it and untick every extra program you did not ask for.
- Look at what is running on the PC after an install: Installed apps, and in Task Manager the startup list. Remove what you do not recognise.
- Keep a current backup with the tools built into Windows, so a bad install is never a disaster.
- A VPN hides your IP address from sites and ad networks, but it does not block a reward page or a phishing e-mail.
Don't
- Do not click Confirm Now, Take Survey Now or any button in an unexpected prize message.
- Do not type your phone number, address, card number or password to receive a reward.
- Do not trust a page because it carries a famous logo, today's date or a countdown.
- Do not pay a fee, tax or shipping charge to collect winnings.
- Do not use an installer from a pop-up, an ad or an e-mail, even one that shows a real brand's logo.
If you entered your details or paid
- 1
You only looked at the page or the e-mail
There is nothing to undo. Close the tab or delete the e-mail, and check what sent it to you. Verizon says a suspicious message typically will not put you at risk if you do not reply, click on links or share personal information.
- 2
You clicked Confirm Now or Take Survey Now
The click tells the sender that your address works and starts the survey. Nothing is installed by a click alone. If the next page asked to show notifications and you pressed Allow, remove it: Stop website notifications and pop-ups.
- 3
You downloaded or ran a file, or an app
On Windows 11 open Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps (Windows 10: Apps & features), find the program, choose Uninstall and confirm if User Account Control asks (). Sort by install date to find what came the day of the click.
- 4
Run a scan
Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a full scan, restart, and check Installed apps again. If Windows Security finds nothing but pages keep opening, use Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan. A scan cleans programs and files on the device; it does not undo what you typed on a web page.
- 5
Still redirected or flooded with pop-ups?
Our old guide says the unwanted program may change browser settings so that it survives restarts. We could not confirm this for the survey, but if redirects persist, remove unknown extensions and reset the browser; the tabs on this page list the steps for each browser (Remove a browser extension, Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine).
Report the e-mail or text. Verizon asks for e-mail at phishing@verizon.com and texts at 7726 (SPAM); you can also report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, pasting the message into the comments, because the FTC cannot accept forwarded messages. Keep a screenshot of the offer and of anything you paid. (Report a phishing e-mail)
How to get rid of the Verizon Reward scam pages
There is no prize.
Close the page, stop the notifications, and protect your card if you entered it.
Which browser shows the ads?
Step 1: Remove includingfuture[.]com from Chrome's notification list
Open More (the three dots) > Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications, or paste
chrome://settings/content/notificationsinto the address bar.Under Allowed to send notifications, open the menu next to
includingfuture[.]comand choose Remove or Block, and do the same for any other address you do not recognise.Next to Not allowed to send notifications, click Add and enter includingfuture[.]com, so the site cannot ask again. The menus are the same in Chrome on Windows 11 and Windows 10, and each Chrome profile keeps its own list.
Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications. Full procedure with screenshots: Stop website notifications and pop-ups
Still there? More for Google Chrome
Remove extensions you do not recognise
Paste
chrome://extensionsinto the address bar and click Remove on anything you did not install yourself, especially video downloaders, "search" or PDF helpers added recently.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Reset Chrome
Open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults and confirm with Reset settings. This resets the start page, search engine and pinned tabs and turns off extensions; bookmarks and saved passwords stay.
Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 1: Remove includingfuture[.]com from Edge's notification list
Edge stores its own permission list, separate from Chrome's, and it is often the browser behind these pop-ups on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Site permissions > All permissions > Notifications, or paste
edge://settings/content/notifications. Removeincludingfuture[.]comfrom Allowed, then add it under Not allowed to send notifications. Notifications that show the Edge logo come from this list.
Edge on Windows 11: Site permissions > All permissions > Notifications. Full procedure with screenshots: Stop website notifications and pop-ups
Still there? More for Microsoft Edge
Remove extensions you do not recognise
Paste
edge://extensionsinto the address bar and click Remove under anything you did not install yourself.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Reset Edge
Open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their default values and confirm with Reset. Extensions are turned off and the start page goes back to default; favourites, history and saved passwords stay.
Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 1: Remove includingfuture[.]com from Firefox's notification permissions
In Firefox the permission sits in Settings > Permissions and data > Notifications (in older versions Privacy & Security > Notifications > Settings). Select
includingfuture[.]comin the list, click Remove Website, and confirm with Save Changes.Firefox only shows these notifications while it is open, so if they stopped after closing Firefox, this is the browser to clean. The steps are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Firefox on Windows 11: the Notification Permissions window. Full procedure with screenshots: Stop website notifications and pop-ups
Still there? More for Mozilla Firefox
Remove add-ons you do not recognise
Paste
about:addonsinto the address bar, open Extensions, and choose Remove from the three-dot menu of anything you did not install yourself.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Refresh Firefox
Open the menu > Help > More troubleshooting information and click Refresh Firefox. Add-ons and custom settings are removed and the home page goes back to default; bookmarks, history and passwords stay.
Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Remove extensions you do not recognise
In Safari > Settings > Extensions, select anything you did not install yourself and click Uninstall.
Check the Mac for apps from the ads
Ads also target Mac users with fake players and "cleaners". In Finder > Applications, move anything unknown to the Bin.
Then, whichever browser you use
Step 2: Close the page without touching its buttons
The warning is a web page, not Windows, so closing the browser ends it. If the page blocks the browser or goes full screen, press Esc first, then end the browser in Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
Start the browser again without restoring the session, and do not follow any instruction the page gave. On Windows 11 and Windows 10 the steps are identical.
Full procedure with screenshots: Close a frozen app (Task Manager, Force Quit) On uGetFix
Step 3: Block the card if you entered it
If you typed card details on the page, call the number on the back of the card and ask the bank to block it and issue a new one.
Ask about every charge from the last days, including small ones, because a test payment of one or two units usually comes first.
Request a chargeback for anything you did not authorise. Do this by phone, not from a link in the message, on a phone or on a Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC.
Full procedure with screenshots: What to do after paying a scammer
Questions about Verizon Reward scam
Is the Verizon reward survey real?
No. The survey that promises a reward of $90 or more for telling "us about your mobile experiences" is a scam that borrows Verizon's name and logo.
Our screenshots show a sender address that is not Verizon's and a page on a domain unrelated to it. Verizon's own security pages say it will never ask for personal or account information by e-mail or text message.
The FTC says that if you must give financial or personal information to claim a prize, it is a scam. Delete the e-mail or close the tab. To check whether Verizon has an offer for you, type verizon.com yourself or open the My Verizon app.
Is the Verizon Reward scam a virus?
No, the offer itself is not a virus. It is an e-mail and a web page, and opening them does not install a program. What matters is how it reached you and what you did next.
Our old guide links these pages to adware and unwanted programs that cause pop-ups and redirects, so if the pages keep coming back by themselves, check your extensions and Installed apps. If they came once, by e-mail or a link, there is likely nothing on the device to remove. The harm is in what you type:
- names
- numbers
- card details given to a form
I filled in the Verizon survey. What do I do now?
List what you typed, then act on each item. Card or bank details mean calling your bank today to block the card and dispute charges. A password means changing it everywhere it is used, starting with your e-mail, and turning on two-step verification.
A phone number or address mean spam and phishing, so ignore messages about prizes or your phone plan. Check your Verizon account by typing verizon.com yourself, not through a link.
Verizon says that if you gave personal information in reply to a suspicious message you should contact its customer support. If your identity details may have been used, go to IdentityTheft.gov.
I clicked Confirm Now in the Verizon e-mail. Am I at risk?
Probably only a little. Verizon says a suspicious message typically will not put you at risk if you do not reply, click on links or share personal information.
A click tells the sender that your address is live, so expect more spam, and the next page may ask for details or for notification permission. If you typed nothing and installed nothing, close the tab and delete the e-mail.
If a page asked to show notifications and you pressed Allow, remove that permission in your browser. If something was downloaded, uninstall it in Settings, Apps, Installed apps. Then forward the e-mail to phishing@verizon.com.
How do I report a fake Verizon e-mail or text?
Forward the e-mail to phishing@verizon.com, which is the address Verizon gives, and forward a text to 7726 (SPAM), then delete it. You can also file a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov; paste the message into the comments, because the FTC cannot accept forwarded messages. Do not click any link in the message while you do this.
Keep a screenshot of the offer and of anything you paid or typed, in case you need to dispute a charge. If you gave your identity details, add a report at IdentityTheft.gov. Reporting helps Verizon and your carrier block similar messages.
Does Verizon really pay $90 for a survey?
Not in anything we found. The $90 "promo reward" in our screenshots sat on a page whose address was not Verizon's, in a message whose sender was not Verizon's, and the "reward" was a menu of other offers.
The FTC's three signs of a prize scam include having to give financial or personal information, and real sweepstakes are free and decided by chance. We cannot prove what Verizon does or does not run, so check it yourself: type verizon.com or open the My Verizon app and look there. Never use a link or button from the message.
Why did I get the Verizon survey if I am not a Verizon customer?
Because the e-mail went to a long list, not to Verizon customers. Our old guide says you might not be a Verizon customer and still get the message or be redirected to the page. The text "only 10 selected customers in your area" cannot be true of a mailing that reached you and many others.
The FTC says scammers make it seem you are the only winner when the same message went to lots of people. Delete it. If you get a lot of it, report the sender in your mail app and forward a copy to phishing@verizon.com.
Why does the page say the offer is for today only?
The date is filled in on each visit to create pressure. Our screenshots show "available for today only: May 06, 2021" and the same date at the top of the page, and the e-mail says "Offer will expire at: 23:59".
The FTC lists urgent deadlines among the marks of a prize scam, because a person with no time to think is easier to push through the steps. A real prize does not expire at midnight on the day you open a message. Close the tab; the same offer will be shown with tomorrow's date.
Can antivirus remove the Verizon Reward scam?
Not the scam itself. A scan finds and removes programs and files on the device, but the survey is an e-mail and a web page, and what you typed on it stays with the sender.
If the pages keep reappearing, a program or browser extension may be opening them, and a Windows Security scan, a look at Installed apps and the extensions list can find that. If you only saw the offer once, delete the message, close the tab and secure anything you typed. Remove unknown programs yourself in Settings, Apps, Installed apps.
Will Fortect remove Verizon Reward scam?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For Verizon Reward scam, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- Verizon: Protect against smishing, spam text messages and text scams (read October 6, 2026)
- Verizon: What is phishing? How to report phishing scams to Verizon (read October 6, 2026)
- Verizon: Account security hub, suspicious e-mail, text and SIM-change reporting (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC Consumer Advice: Fake prize, sweepstakes and lottery scams (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC ReportFraud: Frequently asked questions (spam texts and e-mail, forwarding) (read October 6, 2026)
- Verisign .com registry lookup (RDAP): includingfuture.com, registered 29 June 2024 (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Support: Uninstall or remove apps and programs in Windows (read October 6, 2026)