What is the "ChatGPT Payment Reminder" email scam

What kind of email is "ChatGPT Payment Reminder Email Scam"?

We examined this email and determined it is a scam. The message is designed to look like an official billing notification from OpenAI, claiming the recipient has an outstanding payment for their ChatGPT Plus subscription. It is a phishing email intended to trick recipients into entering payment card details on a fraudulent website. This email should be ignored to avoid financial loss.

"ChatGPT Payment Reminder Email Scam" email scam overview

The email is formatted as a billing reminder from OpenAI, warning that the recipient's ChatGPT Plus subscription has an outstanding balance. It opens with a generic "Dear," greeting - with no actual recipient name - which is a common sign of mass-distributed spam.

The message claims $23.80 is owed - a base fee of $20.00 plus 19% VAT - with a due date of August 26, 2026 set to create urgency. Recipients are instructed to click a "Pay Now" button or complete a bank transfer, with no way to verify whether any real debt exists.

Clicking that button leads to a fraudulent payment page at 188f0289b4[.]nxcli.io, designed to resemble an official OpenAI subscription checkout. The page requests the victim's credit card number, expiration date, CVC code, and cardholder name, with a "Powered by Stripe" label added to appear more convincing.

Anything entered on that page goes directly to scammers. The stolen card details can be used for unauthorized purchases, sold to other criminals, or exploited for broader identity theft.

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is in no way connected to this scam. The email does not originate from any official OpenAI domain, and the payment page is hosted on an entirely unrelated server.

Email scams in general

In summary, this email is a phishing scam that impersonates OpenAI to trick recipients into submitting their payment card details on a fake subscription checkout page. Anyone who receives it should delete it immediately and avoid clicking any links or buttons inside. In some cases, scammers also use emails like this to distribute malware.

More examples of similar scam emails are CMA CGM Shipment Tracking, Process Attempting To Modify System Files, and DHL Package Delivery Failed.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malicious emails can deliver harmful files as attachments or through links embedded in the message body. Common formats used in these attacks include executable programs, Microsoft Office documents, PDF files, and compressed archives like ZIP or RAR files.

When such a file is opened - or when the user activates malicious macro commands inside a document - the malware begins installing on the device. Simply receiving or reading an email is not dangerous; the risk only arises from interacting with its attachments or links.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Treat all unsolicited emails with skepticism, particularly those claiming an urgent payment is required. Do not click links or open attachments in messages from unknown or unverified senders. When a billing notification looks suspicious, go directly to the service provider's official website to check your account status instead of following any link in the email.

Only download and install software from official developer websites, app stores, or trusted vendors. Avoid pirated programs, unofficial activation tools, and key generators, which are commonly used to distribute malware. Keeping the operating system and all applications regularly updated helps close known security vulnerabilities.

If you have already opened a suspicious attachment, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate any threats that may have been installed.

Text presented in the "ChatGPT Payment Reminder Email Scam" email letter:

Subject: Action Required: Payment Reminder for Your OpenAI Subscription

OpenAI
Billing & Subscriptions
Payment Reminder – Outstanding Balance

Please settle your outstanding invoice to avoid service interruption

Dear,

We are writing to remind you that the payment for your ChatGPT Plus subscription remains outstanding. Please settle the amount below to maintain uninterrupted access to your account.

Description | Amount
ChatGPT Plus Subscription | $20.00
VAT (19%) | $3.80

Total Due | $23.80
Invoice Status: Outstanding | Due Date: August 26, 2026

Action Required:
Please settle the outstanding amount of $23.80 as soon as possible using the button below or via bank transfer.
[Pay Now]

For any inquiries, please contact our support team.

© 2026 OpenAI – All Rights Reserved

A fake OpenAI payment page used in this scam:

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is ChatGPT Payment Reminder phishing scam?
• Types of malicious emails.
• How to spot a malicious email?
• What to do if you fell for an email scam?

Types of malicious emails:

Phishing Emails

Most commonly, cybercriminals use deceptive emails to trick Internet users into giving away their sensitive private information, for example, login information for various online services, email accounts, or online banking information.

Such attacks are called phishing. In a phishing attack, cybercriminals usually send an email message with some popular service logo (for example, Microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix), create urgency (wrong shipping address, expired password, etc.), and place a link which they hope their potential victims will click on.

After clicking the link presented in such email message, victims are redirected to a fake website that looks identical or extremely similar to the original one. Victims are then asked to enter their password, credit card details, or some other information that gets stolen by cybercriminals.

Emails with Malicious Attachments

Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.

In such attacks, cybercriminals' main goal is to trick their potential victims into opening an infected email attachment. To achieve this goal, email messages usually talk about recently received invoices, faxes, or voice messages.

If a potential victim falls for the lure and opens the attachment, their computers get infected, and cybercriminals can collect a lot of sensitive information.

While it's a more complicated method to steal personal information (spam filters and antivirus programs usually detect such attempts), if successful, cybercriminals can get a much wider array of data and can collect information for a long period of time.

Sextortion Emails

This is a type of phishing. In this case, users receive an email claiming that a cybercriminal could access the webcam of the potential victim and has a video recording of one's masturbation.

To get rid of the video, victims are asked to pay a ransom (usually using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency). Nevertheless, all of these claims are false - users who receive such emails should ignore and delete them.

How to spot a malicious email?

While cyber criminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:

• Check the sender's ("from") email address: Hover your mouse over the "from" address and check if it's legitimate. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft, be sure to check if the email address is @microsoft.com and not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com, @microsfot.com, @account-security-noreply.com, etc.
• Check for generic greetings: If the greeting in the email is "Dear user", "Dear @youremail.com", "Dear valued customer", this should raise suspiciousness. Most commonly, companies call you by your name. Lack of this information could signal a phishing attempt.
• Check the links in the email: Hover your mouse over the link presented in the email, if the link that appears seems suspicious, don't click it. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft and the link in the email shows that it will go to firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0... you shouldn't trust it. It's best not to click any links in the emails but to visit the company website that sent you the email in the first place.
• Don't blindly trust email attachments: Most commonly, legitimate companies will ask you to log in to their website and to view any documents there; if you received an email with an attachment, it's a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application. Infected email attachments are a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.

To minimise the risk of opening phishing and malicious emails we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows. 

Example of a spam email:

What to do if you fell for an email scam?

• If you clicked on a link in a phishing email and entered your password - be sure to change your password as soon as possible. Usually, cybercriminals collect stolen credentials and then sell them to other groups that use them for malicious purposes. If you change your password in a timely manner, there's a chance that criminals won't have enough time to do any damage.
• If you entered your credit card information - contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the situation. There's a good chance that you will need to cancel your compromised credit card and get a new one.
• If you see any signs of identity theft - you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. This institution will collect information about your situation and create a personal recovery plan.
• If you opened a malicious attachment - your computer is probably infected, you should scan it with a reputable antivirus application. For this purpose, we recommend using  Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
• Help other Internet users - report phishing emails to Anti-Phishing Working Group, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, National Fraud Information Center and U.S. Department of Justice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why did I receive this email?

Cybercriminals distribute these messages in large batches, sending identical emails to thousands of addresses at once. Recipient lists are typically compiled using data from security breaches, fake websites, or similar sources. These emails are not personally targeted.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by this email, what should I do?

If you entered credit card details, contact your bank or card issuer immediately to report the fraud and request a new card. Also change passwords for any accounts that may have been exposed, and review recent statements for unauthorized charges.

I have downloaded and opened a malicious file attached to an email, is my computer infected?

Executable files such as .exe files commonly install malware as soon as they are opened. Documents, archives, or PDFs typically require additional user input - such as enabling macro commands - before any malware activates. The actual risk depends on the file type and what actions were taken.

I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?

No. Simply reading an email is harmless. Malware can only be installed if the user opens an attachment, runs a downloaded file, or clicks a link that triggers an automatic download. Viewing the message text itself poses no risk.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?

Combo Cleaner is able to detect and remove most known malware threats. That said, a full system scan is necessary to maximize detection, as more sophisticated infections can sometimes conceal themselves in locations that partial scans do not reach.