The Better Business Bureau is Reported an increase in phishing scams who offer Netflix for free for a year “because of the pandemic”. What makes them so dangerous is that they link to fake login pages that are very compelling – in some cases with working CAPTCHA user verification fields to assure you that the site is real.
How the scam works
Netflix-related scams have been a chronic problem since the pandemic began, as phishing attacks using fake Netflix URLs have increased dramatically – up 646% last summer over the same period in 2019. according to the security company Webroot. In the latest version of the grip, users receive a text message that goes something like this:
Due to the pandemic, Netflix is offering everyone a free year of service so you can stay home. Click the link to sign up.
Clicking on the link will take you to a fake login page that asks for your personal and credit card details. Of course, your credit card will be charged without your permission and you will not be able to access Netflix. In addition, your personal information may be sold or used for other purposes. Because the fake login page can be, and may even contain, a very convincing replica of Netflix’s legitimate login page functional CAPTCHA boxesMany people fall for the scam.
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As a rule of thumb, don’t click links in unwanted text or trust a login page just because it looks legitimate. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has the following tips to help avoid the Netflix phishing scam:
- Don’t believe every text you get. Typically, companies can’t send you text messages unless you choose to receive them. If you receive a text message from a company that you haven’t given permission to contact you in this way, use caution.
- Go straight to the source. If an offer seems strange or too good to be true, contact the company directly by looking up the official contact information online. Call or email customer service to find out if the text message you received is legitimate.
- Take a close look at the web addresses. If you follow a link in a text message that you think is legitimate, carefully check the web address before taking any action to ensure that you are visiting a company’s official website and that you are not alike.
- Ignore the instructions for the text “STOP” or “NO”. Even if you discover that the message was a scam, don’t send a text back for any reason. Scammers may want you to send back a text message to check that your phone number is active. Instead, just block the number so you won’t receive any messages in the future.
- Change your password. Even if you don’t fall for this scam, Netflix recommends its customers change their password if they are targeted. For more tips from Netflix, click here.
If you’ve received text messages from scammers, report them on the BBB’s scam tracker.
