For years now we have been warning Roku owners that scammers have been trying to target them. One of these scams has been targeting new Roku owners and, for some reason, in the last week scammers have once again been focusing on new Roku owners.
We have been getting a growing number of complaints from readers that Roku is charging a fee sometimes as high as $100+ to activate the Roku they just purchased. This is a scam! We have also heard people say they have had to sign up to a yearly subscription to use their Roku. This, too, is a scam.
Cord Cutters News has confirmed with Roku that setting up your Roku is 100% free after you buy your Roku.
The issue seems to come when new Roku owners are told to go to Roku’s site and enter a code on their screen. A growing number of buyers are not just entering the address shown on the screen but Googling Roku Activation and looking for a phone number to set up their Roku.
Roku does not offer help to set up your Roku via phone. You have to use the link shown on your TV when you first turn on your Roku and set it up. Don’t go to any other sites or use any phone number to set up your account.
How To Set Up Your Roku Without Getting Scammed
If you need help setting up your Roku, just follow the on-screen instructions. At some point, it will give you a 5-letter/number code that looks like “XD12G.” (That is just an example, every Roku has a different code.)
Go to https://my.roku.com/link and enter the code you see on your Roku. Do not Google Roku Activation. Just enter the link as shown above or click that link to open a new window.
From there, Roku will ask you to log in if you already have a Roku account or to create a free account by entering a username and password. That account will allow you to easily set up new Roku players just by logging in.
Now you are ready to use your Roku. (Your Roku will automatically complete the set up after you finish setting up your Roku account.)
Remember: There is no cost to set up a Roku after you buy it. Also, remember to be careful that the website you are on is the real website—not a fake one. Any website that is not Roku.com is not a Roku-owned website.
Hopefully, this helps you avoid spending money on something that is free.
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