A scam targeting Netflix subscribers aims to steal the personal information of those who use or have used Netflix in the past. This puts subscribers at an increased risk of identity theft. To carry out this scam, a cybercriminal sends an email or text (SMS) posing as Netflix, claiming that there was a problem with the account. It instructs customers to click on a link to update their account information. Despite its believable appearance, the email or text message was not from Netflix and was instead a cleverly-disguised phishing attempt.
Netflix states: “If you received an email or text (SMS) requesting information like your username, password, or payment method that looks like it came from Netflix, it probably did not.”. It provides tips on how to determine if an email that appears to be https://help.netflix.com/en/node/65674from Netflix actually came from Netflix itself or if the email was an attempt by a cybercriminal to scam you. They assure customers that they will never request personal information by email, including your payment card information, banking details, or Netflix password, and will never seek payments via a 3rd party vendor or website. Further, they request that anyone who receives such an email or text message forward the email to phishing@netflix.com and delete the email without clicking on any links or opening any attachments.
What Should I Do If I Fell For The Netflix Phishing Scam?
If you fell victim to the scam, and either opened a link or provided personal information, there are a few steps that you should take to minimize the damage that cybercriminals can do with your information.
- Change your Netflix password to a new, secure password that you don’t use on other websites. Check out these tips on how to create a strong password that you will remember.
- Change your passwords for any websites where you use the same or a similar password.
- If you provided your payment card information or banking information, contact your financial institution and let them know what happened, as it may have been compromised.
How can I protect myself from scams like the Netflix Email & SMS scam?
- Hover over any links before you click on them to ensure that they lead where they’re supposed to lead. If the website is unfamiliar, don’t click on the link at all.
- When you reach the website, check the URL to ensure that you are on the company’s official website. Phishing websites often use similar URLs to the sites they impersonate, so be especially alert for minor misspellings or additions to the URL that appears before .com.
- Check the sender’s email address to see if it looks legitimate. Trusted companies will send emails only from an email address that contains their company’s identity. They will not use Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, or other email provider identities commonly used by consumers.
- Never provide personal information or payment information to anyone by email or text message.
- If you’re in doubt about the legitimacy of an email that you received, visit their official website and contact their customer support team using the contact information provided directly on their site.
- Install browser protection to alert you of phishing websites and those created in attempts to commit fraud.
