Cancel a Spokeo or BeenVerified Trial and Stop Surprise Charges

Short answer: Log in to your Spokeo or BeenVerified account, find the subscription or billing section, and cancel before the trial ends. Then check your email for a cancellation confirmation and watch your card statement. If a charge still comes, contact the company first, then your bank. Do not wait, because old charges are harder to dispute.

People-search sites let you type in a name and see public records. Many offer a cheap or free trial to get you in. The catch is that the trial often turns into a monthly plan if you do nothing. Plenty of people in Ghana have used these sites with a dollar card or a virtual card and then forgotten about them. This guide is about stopping the charge. We already have full guides on each site (cancel Spokeo and cancel BeenVerified), so here we focus on the steps that work for both and what to do when money has already left.

Step 1: Find out if you really have a subscription

• Search your email inbox and spam folder for the site name, "receipt", "welcome" or "trial".
• Open your card app or bank statement and look for the company name or a short code that looks like it.
• Check the date. A trial charge and the first full charge are usually spaced by the length of the trial.

If you do not recognise a charge at all, read our guide on unknown charges on a card or bank statement first. It helps you work out who took the money.

Step 2: Cancel inside your account

1. Go to the official website of the company. Type the address yourself. Do not use a link from a text or an ad.
2. Log in with the email you used to sign up. Use the reset option if you forgot the password. Never share your password or any code with anyone who calls you.
3. Look for something like Account, Billing, Membership or Subscription. Menu names change from time to time, so look around.
4. Choose cancel. The site may show offers to keep you. Keep saying no until you reach a final confirmation.
5. Take a screenshot of the confirmation page and save the confirmation email.

If you cannot find the cancel button, use the contact or help page on the official site. Ask in writing, so you have a record. Be polite and clear: give the email you used, the last four digits of your card, and ask them to cancel and confirm.

Step 3: Ask about a refund, but do not count on it

Some companies refund a charge if you ask quickly, and some do not. We cannot promise either way, and neither can anyone else outside the company. Explain that you meant to cancel during the trial, give the date of the charge, and ask politely. Keep every reply.

Step 4: Protect your card

• If you used a virtual or dollar card, you can often freeze it or delete it in the card app. That stops new charges, but it does not cancel the subscription, and the company may still say you owe money.
• Do not give your card details to anyone who calls and says they will "help you cancel". That is a common follow-up trick.
• If you used a physical bank card, ask your bank how to block future payments from that company.

Bank dispute tips if the charge keeps coming

Contact the company first. If they ignore you or refuse, go to your bank or card provider. Rules differ by bank and country, so ask what applies to you.

• Say plainly that you cancelled (or tried to) and the charge was still taken.
• Give the date, the amount and the name on the statement.
• Send your proof: screenshots of the trial terms, the cancel confirmation and your messages to the company.
• Ask for the dispute reference number and note it down.
• Do it soon. Banks often have time limits for disputes.

Our guide on how to get a chargeback explains how card disputes work in different countries. If you paid by MoMo, call your MoMo provider through its official line, not a number from a stranger. If you lost money to a real scam, report it to your bank or MoMo provider, the Ghana Police Cybercrime Unit, and the Cyber Security Authority on 292.

How to spot a subscription trap

• A very low price to start. A cheap or free trial that still asks for your card is a warning sign.
• Tiny print. Look for phrases like "then billed monthly" or "auto-renews" near the button.
• Hard to cancel. If sign-up takes one click but cancelling needs many steps or a phone call, be careful.
• Extra offers. Pre-ticked boxes that add other memberships are a common trick.
• Unknown company name. The name on your statement may not match the website you used.
• No clear contact details. Real companies show how to reach them.

Before you give your card to any site, check the website on TrustCheck to see if other people have reported it or if an official warning names it. You can also read what customers say on business reviews.

Do this before any free trial

1. Set a phone reminder for one day before the trial ends.
2. Screenshot the price and the trial terms.
3. Use a card with a small balance, or a virtual card you can freeze.
4. Cancel on the first day if you only need it once. Many trials still let you use it until the end.

Seen a trap or a fake cancel page?

Scammers copy subscription sites and "cancel here" pages to collect card details. If something feels wrong, report it on TrustCheck. Every report is checked by a person before it is published. You can also see official alerts on the Scam Watch page.

One last thing from Ama: a trial is never really free if you forget it. Cancel early, keep your proof, and check first.