Scammers often use logos of legitimate and popular businesses to scare customers into sharing personal information. One of the latest targeted businesses? Netflix.
A phishing scam has been making its way to unsuspecting victims in which official-looking emails (complete with company logos and letterhead) say the user’s Netflix account has been disabled or suspended. Either Netflix was “unable to bill your membership,” or it advises the user to “update your payment method.”
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The emails are convincing enough to prompt a click through to the scammer’s website — which is also as eerily official-looking, and to the unsuspecting eye could look just like the actual Netflix website.
Then the site will ask for personal information, like your login and password. Some reports say the scam asks for your name, credit card info, and even in some cases, your driver’s license number.
Any and all information you enter into the scammer’s website is then shared with the scammer, who can use that info to go shopping with your credit card, use your private details to apply for fake loans in your name and otherwise steal your identity. Plus, once they have your password they might be able to hack into your accounts on other sites, since most people have the same password for everything.
Netflix told NJ.com that it takes security seriously.
“Netflix employs numerous proactive measures to detect fraudulent activity to keep the Netflix service and our members’ accounts secure,” a spokesperson said. “Unfortunately, scams are common on the internet and target popular brands such as Netflix and other companies with large customer bases to lure users into giving out personal information.”
Netflix did say that it would never ask for personal information — like updated payment — info via email.
The company said it may email customers to tell them to update their personal information with a link to its website, but it warns you to be cautious of fake emails that may link to phony websites created to look like the real thing.
To see where a link goes, simply hover your mouse over the link and you’ll see the web address it points to. If you’re not sure, don’t click. Instead, go to your browser and type in the real address.
Netflix also recommends you use a password that’s unique to your account, and that you change it periodically.
