Netflix “Sorry To Say Goodbye”; Phishing Scam Email

The email is not from Netflix and the claim that your account has been cancelled is untrue. It is a phishing scam designed to steal your credit card details and other personal information. There are many variations of these Netflix scam messages. If you receive one, do not click any links or open any attachments that it contains.

This email, which purports to be from video streaming service Netflix, informs you that your Netflix account has been cancelled and that the supposed cancellation will take effect on a specified date a few days hence. But, claims the email, if you have changed your mind and would like to continue using Netflix, you can click a link to restart your membership without any interruption to your service.

However, the email is not from Netflix and your account has not been cancelled. Instead, the email is a phishing scam designed to steal your credit card numbers and other personal information.

The criminals responsible for this phishing attack hope that at least a few recipients will click the link in the mistaken belief that their Netflix account has been cancelled in error.

If you do click the link, you will be taken to a fraudulent web page that has been designed to look like it is part of the genuine Netflix website. The bogus page features a fake “restart membership” form that asks for your credit card numbers, your name and address details, and other identifying information. If you fill in the form and hit the “Submit” button, criminals can harvest all of the information you supplied and use it to commit credit card fraud and – possibly – identity theft. The supposed cancellation date and other minor details may vary in different incarnations of the scam email.

In fact, this scam is just one in a long series of similar phishing scams that have targeted Netflix users in recent years. Be wary of any message that purports to be from Netflix and claims that you must click a link to reopen a cancelled account, update your details, or rectify a supposed account problem. If you need to check or change your Netflix account details, you can do so by entering the address into your browser’s address bar and navigating to the “Account” section.