Fake home appliance / product warranty expiry spam — email claims refrigerator, washer, dryer, dishwasher, TV, or electronics warranty has expired, offers extended appliance protection plan via link or toll-free number; FTC: second-highest warranty robocall category; tens of millions of contacts per year

Spam emails falsely claiming the recipient's home appliances (refrigerator, washer, dryer, dishwasher, oven, microwave) or consumer electronics (television, air conditioner, HVAC) warranty has expired or is about to expire — pushing extended appliance protection plans or service contracts via a link or toll-free number. Key facts: (1) FTC consumer complaint data: appliance and electronics warranty solicitations rank as the second-highest warranty robocall/spam category after vehicle warranties, with tens of millions of unsolicited contacts per year; the identical volume and methodology as vehicle warranty spam has led the FCC to pursue parallel enforcement actions; (2) The scam exploits the same psychological mechanism as vehicle warranty spam: factory warranties do expire, appliances do break down, and the prospect of an expensive refrigerator or HVAC repair makes even implausible cold-email offers feel worth engaging; (3) Legitimate appliance warranty extensions are sold by manufacturers (Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, GE) or authorized third-party administrators at the point of sale or within a defined window — manufacturers never cold-email consumers years after purchase to warn of expiry; (4) The most common monetization is payment card harvest via a link, or a high-pressure sales call where agents offer "last chance" pricing and request card details immediately. Warning signs: generic "your appliance" language (no make, model, or serial number), urgent expiry deadline, link or toll-free number, sender not the appliance manufacturer or an authorized retailer.