NETFLIX users have been warned over a bank-raiding scam that can steal their accounts and credit card information.
Cybersecurity experts have revealed the signs of the swindle and steps you can take to protect yourself.
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Firms are reporting a marked rise in phishing scams targeting streaming services.
This has come in the form of dodgy text messages containing fraudulent Netflix links.
The messages claim that the recipient has failed to pay for their subscription and that their account will soon be suspended if they don’t make up the balance.
The link then takes them through to a fake Netflix page, allowing scammers to harvest their login details and payment information.
This practice was uncovered by Bitdefender, a company specialising in anti-scam protection.
To help inform people of what to look out for, they shared the text of one of the fake messages.
It read: “NETFLIX: There was an issue processing your payment.
“To keek (sic.) your services active, please sign in and confirm your details at https://account-details[.]com.”
The firm advises recipients not to open messages from unknown senders and not to click on any suspicious links.
For its part, Netflix said that it would “never ask you to enter your personal information in a text or email”.
Bitdefender identified the scam running in 23 countries, including the US, Germany, France and Australia.
Security analyst Miguel Calles shared some of the signs you should look out for with the fraud.
They include:
- Misspelt words in the texts
- Differences with legitimate links e.g. starting with “http:” rather than “https:”
- Messages with an increased sense of urgency
- Offering the option of unregulated payment methods e.g. gift cards.
- Excessive use of captcha checks to give a false impression of security
It comes after we revealed the emergency iPhone button that can stop stalkers from seeing your location and pictures.