EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This isn’t a spine-chilling narrative that will elicit terrified shrieks, but it’s enough to put movie enthusiasts on-edge. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Netflix gained more than 16 million new subscribers. But since March, phishing attacks by Netflix look-alike domains (impersonation attempts) have increased by two-fold.
Netflix-related phishing emails vary in nature and include:
- Emails reporting problems with billing
- Emails from supposed third-party vendors or websites
- Emails notifying users of account suspension
“Why so serious?”
The villains in this story attempt to threaten users by stating that they must enter their personal details within 24 hours, otherwise, their Netflix accounts will be turned off.
After personal information (credit card details and/or social security numbers) are handed over to the hackers, the phishing scams direct users to the authentic Netflix website. This prevents users from recognizing that they have been phished. When users fail to see that they’ve been phished, the real-world consequences are all the more frightening.
How to avoid the big Netflix phishing scams:
A percentage of users want to watch the 2003 American fantasy drama, Big Fish…But no one is interested in a big phish. Netflix provides information about suspicious emails and texts on its website, and gives guidance regarding what to do if you’ve received a suspicious message. Top means of keeping your info safe include: avoiding suspicious links, keeping personal or financial details to yourself, and installing anti-virus software.
For more information on the Netflix phishing scams, please visit IOL.
