The polished and professional-looking email is throwing shoppers off guard as they manage numerous subscription services and constantly changing billing information during the busiest shopping time of the year.
A reader, Stacey P, received a phishing email according to the FoxNews report, telling him that his account would be suspended unless he responded immediately. “The email looked just like a real Netflix email,” Stacey reported.
He called Netflix directly rather than clicking on links in the email. They confirmed that his account was in good standing. Although Stacey identified and stopped the scam before it harmed him, thousands of other individuals likely did not receive such warning.
Why scammers thrive during the holiday season
In December, many people indulge in the excitement of the celebrations. For that, fraudsters use very clean-looking templates that make them look trustworthy. Rushing through email gives the likelihood to click without thinking. This Netflix phishing attempt is just one of many seasonal threats; you can learn about other common tactics in our guide to the top holiday scams.
The Netflix email template mimics the true Netflix branding very closely, but due to some critical errors in the template, it is obvious that it is a fraudulent email. In the email, the first error is that the con artist used the word “valldate” instead of “validate”.
The subject line uses the word “Communication” incorrectly—legitimate companies do not send messages with such misspellings. Additionally, the way the email states to “sent to yo” indicates that there is missing information. Legitimate companies do not send these types of errors.
In addition to the errors being a clear sign of fraud, the tone of the email creates an artificial sense of urgency. The email indicates that the receiver’s billing information was unable to be collected and that the membership will be suspended unless action is taken within 48 hours. This tactic of pressuring users to act quickly is a hallmark of modern phishing, similarly exploited in widespread scams like the fraudulent apple security alert.
The fraudster relies on the pressure created by this type of email so that individuals will not have the opportunity to confirm what the email says through normal channels.
At the bottom of the email is a large red “Restart My Netflix Membership” button that is also very eye-catching. When individuals click this button, it takes them to a phishing page that the scammer created to collect their login information and payment information.
Once the scammer has this information, they will have access to the victim’s Netflix account as well as any financial information that they may have entered while logging into their account.
The greeting goes “Dear User.” Netflix typically utilizes your account’s name to personalize all of its communications and this is noticeable in the different locations for their corporate contact information (in Scottsdale) and the awkward wording regarding your inbox preference.
Protect yourself against credential theft
The verification process takes seconds but can ensure the safety of your Netflix account. There is no need to use any other sources of verification other than accessing Netflix directly via your app or browser. This way, you will see your true account status and be able to avoid all potential fraud links.
Users should never provide their credit card or other payment details through an email link. Phishers design many websites to look like legitimate ones. If you receive a suspicious link from someone claiming to be Netflix, go to the legit Netflix site yourself by typing www.netflix.com in your web browser.
Netflix has an email specifically for reporting fraud. Simply forward the email to Netflix’s dedicated phishing address at phishing @netflix.com so their fraud team can stop similar campaigns from reaching others.
