Scammer created Adobe Pro DC Subscription with my E-Mail

[Guest]

Today I received a couple of e-mails to my mailbox bau*****@gmail.com with suspicious content.

The jist of it is this:

A guy named Klaus Peter Wittmann, (not my name) subscribed to an Adobe Pro DC trial with my e-mail address. How he got it, I don't know.

The bad thing is that this would've turned into a paid subscription after just seven days.

I checked my gmail account history and there have been no suspicious logins or anything.

The only explanation that I have is that Adobe allows subscription without having to confirm the account first. Is that possible?

[John T Smith]

Sorry, nobody here can help with an account or payment problem
This is a public forum, you need the link to Adobe support, not other users
Be sure to remain signed in with your Adobe ID before accessing the link
Do be aware that Adobe's staffing is impacted by the virus, so wait times are long
-make sure that your browser does NOT block ads, scripts, or pop-ups
-you must also allow 'cookies' in your web browser for the link to work
This link will go directly to the chat option
Type "Agent" in the chat box to bypass the chatbot and be connected to a person
-Meaning type in the word Agent without the quote " " marks
https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html?rghtup=autoOpen
- or https://helpx.adobe.com/contact/phone.html
.
Also: beware of answering anyone who sends you a private message
-click for more information about scammers https://tinyurl.com/10791730

[Guest]

Thanks for your reply John.
I did already cancel the subscription and I will soon have this account deleted.

The question that I have is:
Is it really possible that someone can subscribe me to a trial plan with just my e-mail?

I think the community might know.

Because that seems to be the problem here.

If it is indeed possible to subscribe someone by just having knowledge about the e-mail address, then I find this behaviour by Adobe highly problematic. And it would be an easy fix - just require the person to login to confirm the account and login at least once to finalise the subscription. I wonder what would've happened in a week? Would Adobe have started to bill my e-mail?

If it is not possible, either someone has access to my e-mail and Google doesn't record this persons activity in my account OR someone is able to intercept e-mails from Adobe.
Both seem rather unlikely but would be disturbing.

[Test Screen Name]

Disturbing indeed, but one thing: Adobe don't "bill an email". They charge an account using the credit card that is registered to the account. If you never set up an Adobe account and registered a credit card on it, then you can't be charged.

[Nancy OShea]

Sometimes people enter the wrong email address when they join.  Typos occur.  But it's irrelevant since it has nothing to do with you personally. 

Also you can't cancel anything with Adobe unless you have the correct user ID and PASSWORD.  Email address alone won't help you.

https://account.adobe.com/plans

[Guest]

Thanks for your replies.

At least it seems to be possible to subscribe without providing payment information. For the very least I would've been spammed by Adobe with a request for payment - that seems likely.

@Nancy OShea 

Well if your e-mail is OSheaNancy@gmail.com and Stephany Dorothea Smith creates an account on Adobe.com providing your e-mail and her name, a typo seems unlikely, does it.

Anyhow:

I would wish that you'd need ID and PASSWORD to subscribe AND to cancel.

Why Adobe would allow subscription without account confirmation by e-mail is beyond me.

[Nancy OShea]

A FREE membership requires no confirmation or payment info.

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/benefits-creative-cloud-free-membership.html

[Guest]

Sure, but that series of e-mails caused me quite a headache..

First figuring out if that series of e-mails was phishing or legit.

Then I have to say it doesn't look so "FREE" either when the above e-mail hits your inbox.

It rather looks like "If you're not cancelling this within a week, it'll cost you!"

But anyhow - I think I made my point.
I am going to have "my" account deleted. Thanks for your replies and clarification.
Have a nice day.

[Nancy OShea]

I don't put much faith in email messages.  95% of them are bogus BS that isn't worth a hill o' beans.

Now if someone has my bank or credit card info, that's different.  I log-in to their website directly to confirm what's actually going on with the account.  For all intents & purposes, email messages are irrelevant.  They're not worth the paper their printed on (so to speak) :-).

[try67]

No one can charge you just by having your email address. If that were the case the whole world would have been robbed blind by scammers.

The guy with the problem here is not you, actually, but "Klaus Peter Wittmann", who probably entered the wrong email address when he registered his Adobe account (it sounds quite similar to your name, so it wouldn't be surprising), gave his payment details, but now doesn't have access to his account because he can't access the emails... Anyway, there isn't really much you can do about it, because you don't know the password to the account (although you might be able to define a new one if they didn't use 2-Factor Authentication), so you can't cancel it. But you're not being charged anything. Just ignore those emails.