The
Better Business Bureau is issuing a warning that NETFLIX is the latest in a long line of companies to
be plagued with a Phishing Scam using their name.
A
spokesperson from NETFLIX confirmed the phishing attempt and stated that
NETFLIX has identified the website used and has executed a shutdown of that
site. The scam is not just limited to NETFLIX customers. It uses the company's
name and logo and most of the emails contain the subject line “Netflix Account
Closed”. The bogus email contains links that contain phishing malware that can
steal information from your computer.
The
NETFLIX spokesperson also stated, “We always tell people don’t click any links,
go directly to the website, sign into their account. If there is a problem with
the account we (Netflix) will typically have a banner at the top of the website
that there is a problem with their account.” Consumers can also call their
customer service number at 866-716-6812 to speak with a NETFLIX representative
about their account.
Phishing is a way of
attempting to acquire personal information such as usernames, passwords, and
credit card details by posing as a trusted entity in an electronic
communication (email). Communications claiming to be from popular social web
sites, auction sites, online payment processors or IT administrators are
commonly used to lure the unsuspecting public. Phishing is usually carried out
by email spoofing, and it often directs users to enter details at a
fake website that looks identical to the legitimate one.
Recent
similar bogus emails have prompted the BBB to update its advice and recommend
the following to anyone who receives these emails:
• Do
not to open any attachments
• Do not click on any links
• Delete the email from your inbox, and then delete it again from your
trash or recycling folder
• Run a full system scan using reputable virus software
BBB
also recommends that all domain owners set up a sender policy framework (SPF)
and set their spam filter to use it. Using the SPF standard helps fight spam
and phishing attacks by allowing your email servers to verify whether an email
is legitimate…or not.