Netflix Subscribers Targeted in Email Phishing Scam
An estimated 50 million Netflix Subscribers were targeted in an email phishing scam yesterday. The email stated that the recipients Netflix account was deactivated. Subscribers were then instructed to click in al ink which leads them to a fake Netflix webpage (not owned by Netflix.) The web page instructed the subscriber to log into their Netflix account and enter new payment information. Of course, all of this was part of the same scam. A screenshot of the email is below.
Netflix has a helpful section on their official website that talks about scams and phishing emails.
Photo credit: CBS News
Although I did not receive the phishing scam email, I did receive a legitimate Netflix email that same day. It stated that my rates were increasing to 10.69 per month. I was billed later that day. Was it a coincidence? I think so. Netflix quietly raised rates on subscribers one-by-one as their monthly payment was due.
What is a phishing email?
A phishing email is an email that is designed to trick the recipient into divulging sensitive information in order to gain something. A typical phishing email asks for a username, password, or financial information. A phishing email can ask a user to reply with the requested information but typically they have the reader click on a link and collect the requested data on a spoofed website. These fake websites look exactly like the business they are trying to steal data from.
About Netflix
Netflix is a public company based in California in the United States. It was founded in 1997 as a CD/DVD delivery service. The company now provides streaming video services and on-demand videos. Netflix has over 100 million subscribers worldwide.
How do I know if an email is a Phishing email?
Legitimate businesses do not ask for any personal information like usernames, passwords, or banking information in an email. They may instruct you to go to their official website and update your profile there but respond to an email with any sensitive information in it. If you are suspicious of an email, the best thing to do is to NOT click on any link in the email and go to the website directly. If you want to quickly determine if a link is o a scam website, then simply hover (but don’t click or tap) on a link. Look at the URL a click will direct you to. It is not the official corporate website that you’ve always done business on, then it is most likely a scam!
