Netflix Phishing Scams - How to Recognize and Counter Them

by Milena Dimitrova | April 29, 2018 | 0 Comments phishing, scam

Threat Summary Netflix Phishing Scams — April 2020 Update Netflix Phishing Scams — February 2019 Update Netflix Phishing Scams — January 2019 Update Netflix Phishing Scams — December 2018 Update Netflix Phishing Scams – Description How to Stay Protected Against Netflix Phishing Scams Netflix VPN Protection: Why to Use Such a Service How to Remove Netflix Phishing Scams

Companies such as Netflix, PayPal, DHL, and Amazon are often leveraged in various phishing scams, where cyber crooks exploit their popularity to trick users into sharing personal and financial information.

There is barely a user who hasn’t received a crafty spam email. And in many cases, the user even opens the email despite knowing the risks of interacting with suspicious content (links within the text body, attached documents).

Threat Summary

Name	Netflix Phishing Scams
Type	Phishing, Malware
Short Description	Phishing messages trying to trick you into interacting with links and email attachments. Once clicked, a link will redirect you to a landing page where you may be prompted to do a particular action like revealing credit card details. Keep in mind that Netflix phishing emails tend to create a sense of urgency.
Symptoms	You receive an e-mail message that is allegedly from Netflix. You will be urged to click on a link. From there, you can either be infected with malware (mostly infostealers) or you may be redirected to a carefully crafted landing page imitating Netflix.
Distribution Method	Phishing Emails, Pop-up messages, Redirects
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join Our Forum to Discuss Netflix Phishing Scams.

Netflix Phishing Scams — April 2020 Update

In April 2020 a new iteration of the Netflix email phishing scam has been detected in an ongoing attack campaign. It is being sent by a criminal group en-masse against end users using the common approach of blackmailing the recipients into believing that they need to renew a subscription. This time the notification which are shown indicate that the setup automatic payment to Netflix has not gone through. An URL is provided in order to renew the payment. Most of the messages which are sent use the following title RE:[Billing Suspend] Account modification Can be returned for subscription payment Service.

Netflix Phishing Scams — February 2019 Update

In February 2019 a new type of Netflix phishing scams has been reported — this time taking the form of a password reset e-mail notification. The recipients will receive email messages that copy the body design and text style of the authentic Netflix messages. There are two cases which are commonly used:

Requested Password — If the users request a password reset from Netflix and the fake message arrives before the legitimate one the victims will probably interact with it. This is a very difficult scheme to execute as the senders will need to know the exact time at which the reset is requested. This is commonly done by installing a Trojan on the computer beforehand which will automatically trigger the phishing.
Bulk Sending — The criminals can send out the images with the intent that the targets will interact with the messages directly without thinking that a password reset has not been requested by them.

Netflix Phishing Scams — January 2019 Update

A formal warning concerning a new wave of Netflix phishing scams was issued by the FTC. The way its distributed is mainly via email messages that allegedly mask as legitimate messages that originate from the service. In fact they are produced by criminals with the intention of coercing them into opening up links leading to malware sites. The scams feature text design layout and design elements that are very much like the real notifications. In the body contents a link will be placed to “update” the victim’s account details. If it is clicked the users will be redirected to a landing page that will request the account their data.

Netflix Phishing Scams — December 2018 Update

We have received reports of a new attack campaign carrying Netflix phishing scam messages. The captured strains are being spread globally and different variants may be developed in time. The displayed email message reads that the victim’s account has been suspended. The typical design elements of Netflix are also included in order to coerce the users into interacting with the dangerous elements. In this case it is a phishing link that will lead to a fake login page.

The shown landing page will request the Netflix login details, if entered they will automatically be transferred to the hacker operators.

Luckily, there are ways to recognize phishing emails, and in this article we are going to present to you the latest variants of Netflix-themed phishing scams. And respectively, how to protect yourself from them.

Netflix Phishing Scams – Description

Phishing attempts are constantly being improved and made more sophisticated and personalized.
Carefully crafted spear Netflix-themed spam emails have been spreading attempting to trick Netflix users into revealing their credit card information. These emails are typically designed to make the subscriber believe that his or her membership is about to be discontinued unless immediate action is taken. This is the very first red flag that should alarm you of malicious intentions.

Netflix Phishing – Membership Suspended FauxEmail

Phishing emails are usually written with the idea of creating a sense of urgency, and often try to intimidate the user by claiming their membership is about to be suspended. This is clearly a threat that no legitimate company will actually induce, be it Netflix or some other subscription-based popular service.

An example of such email:

We were unable to validate your billing information for the next billing cycle of your subscription. We’ll suspend your membership if we do not receive a response from you within 48hours.

Keep in mind that an email presenting claims such as the above example do not belong to Netflix or any other legitimate company. If you are tricked into giving away your personal or credit card information, your Netflix accounts may be compromised, and your identity may be misused. In case you encounter such an email, don’t open it, or if you do open it – don’t interact with any of the links or attachments. In addition to being robbed, your system may be flooded with malware.

Netflix Phishing – Payment Declined Faux Email

Another version of Netflix-themed phishing emails concerns declined payments, and it was detected a while back by MailGuard security researchers. In this case, the user will be asked to re-enter details about his credit card because it wasn’t recognized, or something of the sort.

Here is an example of such email:

We attempted to authorize the Amex card you have on file but were unable to do so. We will automatically attempt to charge your card again within 24-48 hours.
Update the expiry date and CVV (card verification value) for your Amex card as soon as possible so you can continue using it with your account.

As you can see, the phishing email is carefully crafted – it has the company logo, a call-to-action button and once again a sense of urgency is created. If this button is clicked the potential victim will be taken to a page where the demanded payment details should be provided. Needless to say, doing so will harm your credit card details and your finances.

Netflix Phishing – Malware Infections

Credit card details harvesting may not be the only thing cyber crooks are after. There have been several Netflix-themed malicious campaigns where malware has been dropped onto victims’ systems.

One such case was registered in February a couple of years ago. That malware campaign was representing itself as a cheaper mean to access and watch movies on Netflix.

One distribution method employed by attackers involved malicious files masqueraded as Netflix software. The malicious files were downloaders that, upon execution, opened a Netflix-themed home page while silently downloading Infostealer.Banload.

Infostealer.Banload is classified as a Trojan horse. Once installed on a victim’s system, it opens a backdoor and harvests various types of sensitive information. In addition, the Trojan may also download other malicious files, and may lead to further infections.

Netflix Phishing – Scam Login Page

Another variant of the Netflix scams is the creation of fake login pages. The versions in particular which are proven to be dangerous present a simple sign-in dialog with a background image taken from their production. Other elements that can manipulate the users into thinking that they have accessed a legitimate page belonging to Netflix includes the following:

Facebook Login — The pages also contain a Facebook login option. If clicked the hackers will be able to obtain the authentication token and thus gain information about the users social network data.
Language Options — Several multi-language versions of the landing page can be accessed. This is viewed as a characteristic of the legitimate Netflix login page.
Similar Domains — The Netflix phishing scam landing pages of this type can use similar sounding domin names. This means that if the actual website is mistyped the users may land on a fake domain without noticing.
Security Certificates — Self-signed or stolen certificates can be installed which can institute a false sense of security.

How to Stay Protected Against Netflix Phishing Scams

Fortunately, there are ways that could help to secure your Netflix account. The company itself has provided some “top recommendations” for keeping your account and personal information safe:

Use a password unique to Netflix and change it periodically;
Be aware of possible phishing attempts;
Keep your computer safe;
Report fraudulent or suspicious activity;
Sign out of unused devices;
Report security flaws to Netflix.

In addition to these general security tips regarding your Netflix account, make sure to follow these tips regarding your email account and personal computer:

Do not provide any details about you, your addresses or similar information via email or on unverified websites;
Do not open email attachments, as it is highly unlikely for Netflix to do so;
Always use Netflix’s official website to refer to pages in connection with the service;
Don’t interact with messages with grammatical or typographical errors;
Don’t interact with emails that are not addressed to you by name;
Avoid messages sent by a service you don’t expect to hear from;
Don’t trust messages that do not include a tracking number or specific details about your order or address;
Avoid clicking on links to provide your email address or other personal details for verification;
Avoid payments to someone whose identity you can’t confirm.

Netflix VPN Protection: Why to Use Such a Service

The use of an advanced and capable VPN solution guarantees that Netflix subscribers will be able to access the content if it is being blocked or limited due to ISP reasons. This is especially useful in countries where the catalogue is limited, not available or throttled to a degree which makes streaming movies and rich content unpleasant.

Netflix as one of the most popular Internet services is constantly being throttled and limited by Internet Service providers, some of them even include specific terms when it comes to streaming movies. A VPN service allows the users to set up a private and encrypted connection via special Netflix-optimized servers allowing them to continue enjoying the on-demand movies and content. Additional effects that come from using VPN service include the following:

Bypassing censorship and regional blocks instituted on Netflix by ISPs, corporate firewalls or other measures
Removing some popular types of advertising and tracking cookies
Ensuring that a secure connection is always being used
Optional compression done on data like images and multimedia to ensure that they load faster

One of the most important factors for choosing VPN services, and in the case of Netflix as well, is to always ensure that a stable and fast connection is made. Offerings should have a Netflix-optimized server which delivers excellent playback and performance.

Security-wise, there are important factors that should be considered every time sites are visited: DNS leakage protection, SSL certificates enforcement and any additional privacy guard options. Nowadays VPN services are recommended for users across all types, even those that live in “ordinary” countries due to the fact that most of the Internet sites and services load intrusive tracking ads, scripts and other payloads. A large part of them depend strictly on the Internet traces left by the users. When a VPN service is used to a large extent, this will block their normal functioning.

How to Remove Netflix Phishing Scams

All that is required to remove some Netflix scams is to ignore the message, never respond to it and delete it. Other scams require a bit of action, such as thoroughly scanning your computer with security software to determine whether you have some malware component that is pushing Netflix spoofed messages to your computer, browser or email address.

In case you believe your computer is endangered because you have interacted with a Netflix phishing email, it’s strongly recommended to scan it with security software.

Download

Malware Removal Tool

SpyHunter scanner will only detect the threat. If you want the threat to be automatically removed, you need to purchase the full version of the anti-malware tool.Find Out More About SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool / How to Uninstall SpyHunter

Milena Dimitrova

An inspired writer and content manager who has been with SensorsTechForum since the project started. A professional with 10+ years of experience in creating engaging content. Focused on user privacy and malware development, she strongly believes in a world where cybersecurity plays a central role. If common sense makes no sense, she will be there to take notes. Those notes may later turn into articles! Follow Milena @Milenyim

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Guide 1: How to Remove Netflix Phishing Scams from Windows.
Guide 2: Get rid of Netflix Phishing Scams on Mac OS X.
Guide 3: Remove Netflix Phishing Scams in Google Chrome.

Guide 4: Erase Netflix Phishing Scams from Mozilla Firefox.
Guide 5: Uninstall Netflix Phishing Scams from Microsoft Edge.
Guide 6: Remove Netflix Phishing Scams from Safari.
Guide 7: Eliminate Netflix Phishing Scams from Internet Explorer.
Guide 8: Disable Netflix Phishing Scams Push Notifications in Your Browsers.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

How to Remove Netflix Phishing Scams from Windows.

Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Netflix Phishing Scams

OFFER

Manual Removal Usually Takes Time and You Risk Damaging Your Files If Not Careful!

We Recommend To Scan Your PC with SpyHunter

Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter's malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter's EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria

1. Hold Windows key() + R

2. The "Run" Window will appear. In it, type "msconfig" and click OK.

3. Go to the "Boot" tab. There select "Safe Boot" and then click "Apply" and "OK".

Tip: Make sure to reverse those changes by unticking Safe Boot after that, because your system will always boot in Safe Boot from now on.

4. When prompted, click on "Restart" to go into Safe Mode.

5. You can recognise Safe Mode by the words written on the corners of your screen.

Step 2: Uninstall Netflix Phishing Scams and related software from Windows

Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:

1. Hold the Windows Logo Button and "R" on your keyboard. A Pop-up window will appear.

2. In the field type in "appwiz.cpl" and press ENTER.

3. This will open a window with all the programs installed on the PC. Select the program that you want to remove, and press "Uninstall"

Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.

Step 3: Clean any registries, created by Netflix Phishing Scams on your computer.

The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by Netflix Phishing Scams there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:

1. Open the Run Window again, type "regedit" and click OK.

2. When you open it, you can freely navigate to the Run and RunOnce keys, whose locations are shown above.

3. You can remove the value of the virus by right-clicking on it and removing it.

Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.

IMPORTANT!
Before starting "Step 4", please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode.
This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.

Step 4: Scan for Netflix Phishing Scams with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

1. Click on the "Download" button to proceed to SpyHunter's download page.

Download

Malware Removal Tool

It is recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter's EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.

2. After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.

3. After the update process has finished, click on the 'Malware/PC Scan' tab. A new window will appear. Click on 'Start Scan'.

4. After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the 'Next' button.

If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Get rid of Netflix Phishing Scams from Mac OS X.

Step 1: Uninstall Netflix Phishing Scams and remove related files and objects

OFFER

Manual Removal Usually Takes Time and You Risk Damaging Your Files If Not Careful!

We Recommend To Scan Your Mac with SpyHunter for Mac

Keep in mind, that SpyHunter for Mac needs to purchased to remove the malware threats. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA and Privacy Policy

1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:

2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:

3. In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to Netflix Phishing Scams:

Tip: To quit a process completely, choose the “Force Quit” option.

4. Click on the "Go" button again, but this time select Applications. Another way is with the ⇧+⌘+A buttons.

5. In the Applications menu, look for any suspicious app or an app with a name, similar or identical to Netflix Phishing Scams. If you find it, right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash”.

6: Select Accounts, after which click on the Login Items preference. Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to Netflix Phishing Scams. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.

7: Remove any left-over files that might be related to this threat manually by following the sub-steps below:

Go to Finder.
In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.

In case you cannot remove Netflix Phishing Scams via Step 1 above:

In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:

Disclaimer! If you are about to tamper with Library files on Mac, be sure to know the name of the virus file, because if you delete the wrong file, it may cause irreversible damage to your MacOS. Continue on your own responsibility!

1: Click on "Go" and Then "Go to Folder" as shown underneath:

2: Type in "/Library/LauchAgents/" and click Ok:

3: Delete all of the virus files that have similar or the same name as Netflix Phishing Scams. If you believe there is no such file, do not delete anything.

You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:

→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons

Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.

Step 2: Scan for and remove Netflix Phishing Scams files from your Mac

When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Netflix Phishing Scams, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.

Click the button below below to download SpyHunter for Mac and scan for Netflix Phishing Scams:

Download

SpyHunter for Mac

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Remove Netflix Phishing Scams from Google Chrome.

Step 1: Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu

Step 2: Move the cursor over "Tools" and then from the extended menu choose "Extensions"

Step 3: From the opened "Extensions" menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its "Remove" button.

Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Erase Netflix Phishing Scams from Mozilla Firefox.

Step 1: Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window

Step 2: Select the "Add-ons" icon from the menu.

Step 3: Select the unwanted extension and click "Remove"

Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Uninstall Netflix Phishing Scams from Microsoft Edge.

Step 1: Start Edge browser.

Step 2: Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.

Step 3: From the drop menu select "Extensions".

Step 4: Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.

Step 5: Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Remove Netflix Phishing Scams from Safari.

Step 1: Start the Safari app.

Step 2: After hovering your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, click on the Safari text to open its drop down menu.

Step 3: From the menu, click on "Preferences".

Step 4: After that, select the 'Extensions' Tab.

Step 5: Click once on the extension you want to remove.

Step 6: Click 'Uninstall'.

A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select 'Uninstall' again, and the Netflix Phishing Scams will be removed.

How to Reset Safari
IMPORTANT: Before resetting Safari make sure you back up all your saved passwords within the browser in case you forget them.

Start Safari and then click on the gear leaver icon.

Click the Reset Safari button and you will reset the browser.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Eliminate Netflix Phishing Scams from Internet Explorer.

Step 1: Start Internet Explorer.

Step 2: Click on the gear icon labeled 'Tools' to open the drop menu and select 'Manage Add-ons'

Step 3: In the 'Manage Add-ons' window.

Step 4: Select the extension you want to remove and then click 'Disable'. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click 'Disable'.

Step 5: After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red 'X' button located at the top right corner and start it again.