Watch out for those hidden subscriptions (that you don't know you have)

It happens more often than you might think. While browsing online or downloading an app, you click "I accept" without reading too much, perhaps curious about a free trial or content that seems harmless. Then, weeks later, comes the surprise on your statement: a monthly charge of unknown origin.

This also happened recently to several users in Ticino, who found themselves unwittingly signed up for subscriptions related to adult content. The news even reached the local press as complaints multiplied. In many cases, these were services never consciously requested, activated perhaps with a simple tap, often taking advantage of distraction or a lack of clarity in the procedure.

The mechanism is simple (and devious)

It works like this: you visit a site or click on a link received via message, perhaps lured by an exclusive video or a free trial. A screen opens where, without realizing it, you confirm a weekly or monthly subscription. No credit card? You don't need one. The charge occurs directly on your phone bill, under generic headings that often go unnoticed.

In some cases, you just need to have your phone unlocked and connected to a mobile network: one tap and it's done. No codes to enter, no SMS confirmation. This is where many fall for it.

The microtransaction trap

These are often small amounts: 5.-/ 7.-/ 9.- francs at a time.

Not enough to cause immediate alarm, but enough to accumulate significant sums over time. And it is not always easy to get a refund, because from a technical point of view, the user has accepted the terms and conditions.

What is worrying is the ease with which these subscriptions are activated, and the difficulty many face in recognizing and deactivating them. We are not talking about cyber scams in the strict sense, but about borderline practices that exploit the inattention and the automatic nature of how we browse today.

How to protect yourself?

• Periodically check your phone bill, item by item
  • Activate, if available, the block on value-added services (called VAS Services) by contacting your provider
  • Avoid clicking on suspicious links or overly enticing promises

Those with teenage children should be even more careful: many subscriptions are activated while viewing content on unfiltered sites, without the minor realizing the economic consequences.

A cultural issue too

The issue affects not only the wallet but also the sensitivity of those who find themselves involved without meaning to be. In some cases, families themselves have reported the problem, discovering subscriptions activated by mistake or carelessness.

Greater transparency is needed from providers, of course, but also more awareness from users. Because in the digital world, even when everything seems free, you always pay for something. Sometimes with data, sometimes with time, and sometimes, like in this case, with real money, without even realizing it.

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