Beware of this Netflix Scam

Scams are nothing new, but this Netflix Scam is very well done (if one can say that about a scam). The email that is being sent out looks like a Netflix communication. The scammers have tried to personalize the greeting  but have so far failed. You may see just a Hi or Hi #name# (where the name was supposed to be pulled from a database).

Here’s what the scam email looks like:

It looks like that email came from Netflix. If you click “RESTART MEMBERSHIP” or anything in that email you will visit a authentic looking but fake page to log in to Netflix.

Once you enter your Email and Password on this fake log in page, the criminals will have your Netflix password.  And if you log in with Facebook they’ll have that information too. But if you do sign in on this fake log in page, you’ll see a very real looking Netflix page that asks you to update your billing information.  Also note the realistic “Secure Server” icon – it’s a fake too.

Needless to say, if you enter your name, address, date of birth in this form, you’re giving scammers a great start on stealing your identity.

And then, of course, if you continue and enter your credit card information, you just gave criminals access to your credit card.

And when you finish entering all your information, you’ll see a very realistic looking page thanking you for updating your account information and informing you that your Netflix account has been “Reactivated”. Actually, all you’ve done is given these criminals enough information to use your credit cards and even steal your identity.

But you can avoid being tricked by this scam (and others like it) by just being cautious and looking at your browser’s address bar. Take a look – you won’t see any https:// here, no secure server, you won’t even see Netflix.com – you’ll see something like this:

Now, since this scam involves hacking into various WordPress sites  which have  installed non-secure plugins, the URL (Web address) will vary, but it will never be https://www.netflix.com/ or www.netflix.com . Just looking at your browser’s address bar can save you a lot of worry and grief.

You can no longer look at a page and tell if it’s real or fake; scammers have the money and talent to counterfeit any web site and make it look authentic. But one thing they can’t do is spoof the web address.

Be safe. Always look at the address that appears in your browser’s address bar before you fill any private information (such as your street address, social security number, credit card or bank account numbers, etc.)  Make sure the site you’re on, is the site you’re supposed to be on. It’s a simple, quick and easy way to avoid scams like this Netflix scam. And the few extra seconds it takes you to verify the address in your browser’s address bar, can save you days, weeks and months of worry.