The giant streaming site, Netflix, may appear to have their business running smoothly. However, Netflix Canada has warned their customers about phishing scams, which allow other parties to access some sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card information. After getting wind of the scam, Netflix Canada has then urged their customers to take necessary precautions before divulging any sensitive information.
As reported by CBC News, there have been cases wherein Netflix users receive suspicious texts containing a warning regarding delayed payments by the user. The message then proceeds to state that the services will be cut off unless the issue has been rectified, and then asks for the user's credit card information, as well as their username and password through a fake Netflix website.
The fake website is very well made and looks almost identical to the real Netflix website based in Canada. The fake website grabs images from the popular shows from Netflix, which makes it look very legitimate. Those who are not careful may be potential victims to the scam. In order to avoid this kind of malicious activity, Netflix has advised those who receive this type of email not to click on any link that they may receive, as such might lead to the fake site.
Another step that customers can take if they encounter a situation such as this is to report the email to the original site immediately, so that a stronger case can be built against it. In general, people should be very careful about who they give their credit card information to. Similar scams have existed since the boom of the internet age, but this particular threat is potentially very dangerous given that it emulates almost perfectly the original site.
It is important to take note that scammers can be very active during the holidays, since people are more vulnerable at this time. In the meantime, avid Netflix users in Canada should be vigilant on any suspicious activity that is out of character given the streaming site's usual protocol.
