Netflix Scam Emails: How to Delete and Report These Phishing Emails

Many people have signed up for a Netflix account over the past few months due to the coronavirus pandemic forcing everyone to stay at home. We all were looking for something to do, so many of us decided to sign up for streaming services so that we can keep updated on our favorite shows and movies. However, scammers realized how many people would be downloading streaming services due to COVID-19 and decided to take advantage of this by creating phishing emails aka Netflix scam emails.

What is the Netflix Email Scam?

Basically, scammers send you an email that claims you need to update your billing information. It states that they are unable to approve the financial information on file and need updated billing information. There are also some emails that claim that financial institutions stopped allowing monthly payments and need updated payment information for the upcoming month. The victim gets scared and thinks they are going to lose their Netflix, so they click the link on the email and provide the form with their personal and financial information.

However, the victim doesn’t realize that they just provided this valuable information to a scammer. Along with leaking their information, they potentially just downloaded malware onto their device that will steal additional personal information stored on the computer. The scammer can then use this information to commit identity fraud, steal money from bank accounts based on financial information provided, and also apply for credit cards under the victim’s information.

How to Tell When an Email is Actually From Netflix

• Netflix will never ask for your passwords or your financial information.
• If you owe money, they won’t ask you to provide your payment information on a third-party website.
• Check the URL that the link leads you to. If it doesn’t begin with “netflix.com” or the word “Netflix” is misspelled, this means that it’s not actually Netflix’s site. Do not enter any information on these fake websites and close out of the page immediately. The website may look like Netflix but in reality, it’s actually a fake website designed by scammers to look exactly like the Netflix website.

How to Report Phishing Emails and Text Messages to Netflix

To report a scam email:

• Don’t click any of the links in the email
• Forward the text or email to the email address phishing@netflix.com
  • For phones, tap and hold the message you want to forward then click “More…”
  • Click the forward arrow or “Forward” depending on what kind of phone you are using.
  • Click the send button.
• Delete the phishing email or text message after you report the scam

Social Catfish is Here to Help You!

At Social Catfish, we want to help you verify the identities of those who might seem suspicious to you. If you have their name, email address, phone number, social media username, or image, you can reverse search and see who the suspected person was that you’ve been in contact with if you think you’ve been a victim of Netflix scam emails.