Netflix subscribers are once again being targeted with a phishing scam. This one is using the increasingly popular tactic of a “validation” or “verification” email. This method has been used recently in phishing attacks using PayPal and Venmo, as well as large financial institutions such as Chase Bank, Wells Fargo, and Capital One. This one is not limited to the shores of the United States either. Authorities in the UK have also warned the public about it.
The email message comes with a very realistic looking Netflix logo. The text claims that the user’s subscription payment failed and that services will be limited until the account is validated. It lists the subscriber’s name, the method of payment (Visa or MasterCard) and the card number with some of the digits blacked out. It also has the expiration date of the card listed.
It’s always worth a few extra minutes to read through such email messages. Most of the time they are designed specifically to illicit fear with hopes that the reader will just click on a link or attachments without verifying the rest of the details or noticing errors in the text. In this case, they black out some of the digits of the card hoping the user won’t notice and will just continue to click the included “validation” button.
Believe it or not, some have clicked links in messages such as this even though they don’t even have accounts with the service provider. Perhaps it is curiosity getting the better of them, but if you don’t have a Netflix account, you can assume it’s certainly phishing. If you do and you want to check the validity of the email, take a moment to go directly to the Netflix site and log in there to validate your service and to communicate with the company. If there is any problem with your account, there will be an indication there.
This particular button actually goes to a fake site where the user is instructed to put in payment card details and login information for the Netflix account. However, some such sites will automatically install malware on the computer in the background. Most will agree that it’s much better to spend time watching Netflix programs than removing malware from your device because of a phony email.
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