Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
If AT&T sent you an email telling you to upgrade your phone — or else — would you write it off as a scam? Well, that’s just what the company did this week, according to Android Police.
Under the big, blue, bold, all-caps heading “UPDATE NEEDED,” the carrier is telling some customers that their devices are “not compatible with the new network” and that they “need to replace it to continue receiving service.”
Here’s the email:
Image: Android Police
Image: Android Police
One obvious problem: the company sent this in the middle of an economy-wrecking pandemic, at a time when buying a new phone might be the last thing on someone’s mind. Some customers were so surprised to get the email that they…