Email Scam: Did you receive an Email claiming The status of your AARP membership is pending

Have You Received a Scam Email?
"Welcome to AARP",  welcometoaar@afternoontime.com, claiming
"The status of your AARP membership is pending"

Did you receive an email from "Welcome to AARP", at welcometoaar@afternoontime.com, claiming "The status of your AARP membership is pending"? Did they then instruct you to Check Your 2026 Perks or something similar?

As you can see in the examples below there are many variations of this scam email. They change the names of the email address they send it from they change the subject line but in every case if you look at the links in the email and where they go to and where the email comes from you will see that none of them are from Aarp.com none of them go to the realAarp.com website . So don't click on anything in the email. And don't respond to it.

Don't fall for it.  It is a scam, and if you call them back or follow their instructions you will lose money and possibly your identity! The people behind this are the worst kind of human scum; willing to do anything to scare, threaten, lie, cheat and steal money from anyone, including the elderly and poor. They usually operate out of Nigeria, China, Russia and even some developed western countries. Attachments typically include malware to infect your computer, tablet or phone and allow the scammer to capture your passwords.

NEVER click on the links in the email, nor respond to it. Just delete it. If you hover over the link the email you receive, you will see it goes to some website you have never heard of, like: http://www.afternoontime.com/insider/nfrmnofp/gate

 (DON'T GO TO THIS WEBSITE)

1. Report received:

   Subject:	The status of your AARP membership is pending
   Date:	Mon, 13 Jul 2026 17:04:06 -0400
   From:	Welcome To AARP <welcometoaar@afternoontime.com>
   Reply-To:	welcometoaar@afternoontime.com
   To:

   
   
   

   Hey, I finally got around to trying that recipe you recommended last week. It turned out well, even with the substitutions I made.
   
   The sauce was the highlight. I'll be making it again soon.
   
   Let me know if you have any other favorites tucked away. Hope you are doing great!

   AARP Real Possibilities

   Welcome Back. Your Membership Is Active. Thank you. Your membership has been renewed via your coverage. Member Number: AAR-w0HCL-bE0R6 Please answer a short questionnaire to see what perks are available to you in 2026. Check Your 2026 Perks

   © AARP. All rights reserved. AARP

   Aother version:

   
   -------- Forwarded Message --------

   Subject:	Pending status on your AARP membership
   Date:	Mon, 13 Jul 2026 15:43:37 -0400
   From:	Welcome To AARP <welcometoaar@arganino.com>
   Reply-To:	welcometoaar@arganino.com
   To:

   
   
   

   I think that new course starts next week, right? Or was it the week after? I just remember we needed to sign up early because it fills up fast.
   Anyway, let me know what works for your schedule and I'll block the time out. I'm flexible on the day if evenings are better for you.

   AARP REAL POSSIBILITIES

   Your Membership Is Active. Unlock Your Year. Thank you. Your membership has been renewed via your coverage. Member Number: AAR-cxXgP-ypbnHRV2A A short questionnaire takes just two minutes. It helps us match you with the exact perks, discounts, and local events that fit your lifestyle for the year ahead. Travel discounts Local events Wellness tools See Your Perks

   AARP

   Yeah, I think that sounds like a solid plan. It's been a while since we all got together like that.
   I'll bring the thing I mentioned last time we talked.
   Just send me the details once you confirm with the others and I'll put it on my calendar. Oh, and let me know if anyone needs a ride, I have plenty of room.
   
   
   

   Another Version:

   -------- Forwarded Message --------

   Subject:	Important: Changes to Your AARP Membership Inside
   Date:	Mon, 13 Jul 2026 16:10:22 -0400
   From:	Aarp Team <aarpteam@dspms.com>
   Reply-To:	aarpteam@dspms.com
   To:

   
   
   

   hey yeah i got the photos from the reunion. they turned out great especially the group shot by the lake. i'm planning to order a print for my wall. let me know if you want me to grab one for you too since they have a buy one get one deal this week. no rush.
   
   

   AARP Real Possibilities

   Your Membership Is Renewed. Your 2026 Perks Are Ready. Thank you. Your membership has been renewed via your coverage. Now, take a moment to answer a short questionnaire and unlock the full range of perks available to you in 2026. Exclusive Discounts Travel Rewards Health & Wellness Member Number: AAR-jAkR-wE3B0ctTS Status: Renewed & Active Complete the questionnaire by January 31, 2026 to confirm your personalized perk set. Perks are subject to eligibility. View My 2026 Perks

   AARP  |  Real Possibilities

   thanks for the heads up about the community garden meeting. i can bring some extra tomato seedlings and that bag of compost i've been saving. do we need to sign up for plots beforehand or just show up? i'll text you later to coordinate what else to bring.
   
   

    

    

Information About "Welcome to AARP", welcometoaar@afternoontime.com, claiming The status of your AARP membership is pending

There are several websites that focus on reports of scam Emails.

The links below go to pages on these other websites were you can read reports about the scams associated with this phone number ("Welcome to AARP", welcometoaar@afternoontime.com, claiming The status of your AARP membership is pending):

• Microsoft Safety and Security Center
• Microsoft Community - Windows Support Scam - I was called by someone who said they were windows support and my computer was sending them warnings and messages!
• ARS Technica

It is a scam

Don't fall for it.  It is a scam.

What to do

Just ignore it and delete the email. Do not click on anything in the email.

Apple offers the following advice:

If you get a suspicious Email:
Scammers spoof phone numbers and use flattery and threats to pressure you into giving them information, money, and even iTunes gift cards. Always verify the caller's identity before you provide any personal information. If you get an unsolicited call from someone claiming to be from Apple, hang up and contact us directly.

Microsoft says:

Tech support scams are an industry-wide issue where scammers use scare tactics to trick you into paying for unnecessary technical support services that supposedly fix contrived device, platform, or software problems.
Scammers may call you directly on your phone and pretend to be representatives of a software company. They might even spoof the caller ID so that it displays a legitimate support phone number from a trusted company. They can then ask you to install applications that give them remote access to your device. Using remote access, these experienced scammers can misrepresent normal system output as signs of problems.

Cybercriminals don't just send fraudulent email messages and set up fake websites. They might also call you on the telephone and claim to be from Microsoft. They might offer to help solve your computer problems or sell you a software license. Once they have access to your computer, they can do the following:

Trick you into installing malicious software that could capture sensitive data, such as online banking user names and passwords. They might also then charge you to remove this software.

See these pages for guidance as applicable to your specific situation:

• If you are certain you don't owe a debt: What to do about harassing Emails
• If you may owe a debt: Debt collection Emails - what they may do, what the may not do and how to stop them
• If you are being harassed by the collector: file a compliant against a debt collector with the FTC - Use this form to submit a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Bureau of Consumer Protection about a particular company or organization..
• How to stop telemarketers

Protect Yourself:

The following documents and websites can help you learn more about phishing and how to protect yourself against phishing attacks.

• Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks
• Protecting Your Privacy
• Understanding Web Site Certificates
• Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG)
• Federal Trade Commission, Identity Theft
• Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams

Methods of Reporting Phishing Email to the US Government

• In Outlook Express, you can create a new message and drag and drop the phishing email into the new message. Address the message to phishing-report@us-cert.gov  and send it.
• In Outlook Express you can also open the email message^* and select File > Properties > Details. The email headers will appear. You can copy these as you normally copy text and include it in a new message tophishing-report@us-cert.gov .
• If you cannot forward the email message, at a minimum, please send the URL of the phishing website.

* If the suspicious mail in question includes a file attachment, it is safer to simply highlight the message and forward it. Some configurations, especially in Windows environments, may allow the execution of arbitrary code upon opening and viewing a malicious email message.

For More Information About Phishing, See:

• Click Here for a copy of NCL's Phishing Brochure.  Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader'.
• How Not to Get Hooked by a 'Phishing' Scam  [PDF version]
  Offers tips on how to avoid falling victim to a new type of spam scam in which consumers are deceived into handing over personal financial information.
• Is Someone "Phishing" for Your Information?  [PDF version]
  Cautions consumers about emails that claim to be from government agencies in an attempt to steal personal information.
• Digital PhishNet Web site.
• Phish Report Network - a cooperative effort by several companies providing an information clearinghouse that will be run by WholeSecurity, a provider of client-side security solutions.
• Internet Crime Prevention & Control Institute, a cooperative effort between Zero Spam Network Corp. and the University of Miami. Staffed by Miami undergraduate and graduate students and Zero Spam employees, works closely with the Secret Service's Electronic Crimes Task Force and ISPs in the United States and abroad to identify and block traffic to machines hosting phishing sites.
  • Report A Crime
  • FTC Fraud Reporting

There are several websites that focus on reports of scam Emails.

The links below go to pages on these other websites were you can read reports about the scams associated with this phone number (855-687-1444, claiming This is Microsoft. This call is to inform you that your Microsoft license key has expired):

• Microsoft Safety and Security Center
• Microsoft Community - Windows Support Scam - I was called by someone who said they were windows support and my computer was sending them warnings and messages!
• ARS Technica

Related Scams

There are a number of common telephone scams, such as:

• Collect Call scams
• Inmate collect call scams
• Phone service is about to be cut off
• Telemarketers

and some new and as yet, uncommon scams.