Netflix Subscribers Beware: You Could Be the Target of the Next Big Email Scam
Listen up, Netflix devotees! As you gear up to binge-watch all the network’s latest new November shows and movies, there’s one thing from the network you should avoid clicking on at all costs: a scam email telling you your account has been suspended.
Mailguard is reporting that the bogus message masquerading as a “suspension notification” mimics the design of legitimate Netflix communications.
The warning tells subscribers to update their account information in order to avoid an interruption in service, with what appears to be a handy-dandy link for you to enter the requested details. Should you click it, however, you’ll be taken to a fake Netflix site that’s been set up to steal personal and credit card information from users who “login” to provide their information.
While the slimy scheme has already targeted around 110 million subscribers, you can avoid trouble by looking out for a few telltale signs. First, the recipient of the email will show up as “no sender,” a surefire sign that something’s a little fishy. Secondly, instead of your actual name, the note will simply be addressed to “#name#.”
Beware of this scam email pretending to be from Netflix! The link takes you to a fake Netflix website https://t.co/qUehniHJ3O pic.twitter.com/gFuXDQ887O
— Trading Standards (@SuffolkTS) November 6, 2017
Finally, if you’re ever unsure about a website’s legitimacy, it’s always a good idea to check the URL to be sure that it has an “https://” address rather than an “https://” address (note the ‘s’ in the first example which indicates a secure site). If you’re still not totally at ease, then track down a phone number you can trust (independently from the iffy website, of course!) and call customer service to verify the email before taking further action.
And, should you see an email in your inbox that fits that description, click the spam button to report it and delete the message ASAP.
Remember: It’s always better to be safe than sorry!
Have you ever been hit with a nasty email scam? Let us know @BritandCo!
(Photo via Pascal le Segretain/Getty)