A phishing scam over the past few months has been arriving in email inboxes of customer of Netflix. The scam attempts to trick people into releasing their personal data, such as credit card numbers. The fake notice in the email claims the membership of the subscriber is going to be discontinued shortly unless the subscriber takes immediate action that is requested.
The fake email states that Netflix could not validate the billing information for your account for the upcoming billing cycle and Netflix will suspend membership if a response is not received from you during the next 48 hours.
The email continues be saying click restart membership to update the details and the note then prompts the Netflix subscriber to a phishing link.
The police department in Grand Rapids, Michigan warned people of the faux email in a Facebook post earlier this week.
This isn’t a legitimate Netflix email and you could have your account compromised and identity fraudulently used if your personal information is provided, wrote the police department. If you receive this email or one you believe is fraudulent close it without opening any links.
The police warning went on to say that if you want to check the current status of your account online then it is recommended you do so by signing in directly the way you normally would.
Netflix has warned about possible phishing scams on its website’s help page and it encourages people to make reports of any impersonations.
The streaming service said that it might email you to please update your information with a link directly to its site, but beware of fake emails that send you to phishing websites that are fraudulent.
Netflix has an estimated 118 million streaming service subscribers which makes its customers targets of scams. A similar phishing attack was warned of last year.
Phishing has become a common way that hackers are able to convince people to give up their personal data. The best thing to do is be wary of these types of messages urging you to click to links that are unsolicited.
The bottom line is it is best to contact the company directly prior to answering any questions asked in an email that could compromise your personal data.
