Your inbox is filled with holiday sale offers, coupon codes and just about everything else your fave retailers could send this time of year. Well, along with the deals, discounts, other promos comes a pretty sneaky Netflix email scam.

If you’ve recently received an email from Netflix asking you to update your payment information—don’t. Sure, “stranger things” have happened—but this isn’t the first time customers of the streaming service have received this type of phishing scam email, either.

Photo: Courtesy of Netflix

The email looks like it’s from Netflix—But, of course, it’s not. The email may not include your full name, and may simply start with, “Dear.” That’s an obvious sign that the message is not from the real streaming service. The email also includes a link to click on, supposedly helping you to update your billing and payment details. And that’s how the scammers get your info.

So how can you tell if an email from Netflix is real or not? Aside from the generic “Dear” greeting, look at the sender’s email address. While the name may read “Netflix,” the actual email address (address of origin for the sender) isn’t from the real deal.

According to Netflix’s help page, never provide login or payment info after following an email or text message link. If you have concerns that you may really need to update your Netflix payment information, go to the website and log in to your account to do so.

Along with staying away from links in suspicious emails, never open attachments that come with these messages either. Do not respond directly to the email. Instead, visit Netflix’s help page for the steps to forward the suspicious email to them.

—Erica Loop

 

RELATED STORIES:

Moms, Beware This Viral Lululemon Scam on Your Instagram Feed Right Now

Yes, Tiffany & Co. Really Sells $1,650 LEGO Bricks Made of Sterling Silver

10 Crazy, Ridiculously Expensive Gifts You Can Actually Buy on Amazon

Advertisement
phone-icon-vector
Your daily dose of joy and connection
Get the Tinybeans app