LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A warning about a dangerous scam using the Netflix name. It's not just the account holder, this hoax is even targeting kids. 13 Investigates Anchor Tricia Kean shows how it works in this Consumer Alert.
13-year-old Jade Douglass received this text message a couple weeks ago. Netflix was having trouble processing a payment.
"I'm like did dad actually cancel the subscription? Because we were actually talking about canceling it earlier," says Jade.
So she double checked.
"I asked him, hey did we cancel the Netflix subscription?" says Jade.
"No. why? And she told me she had gotten a text message saying there was a problem with the account," says her dad, Brian.
CLOSER LOOK AT LINK
Fortunately he was smart enough to take a closer look at the link.
"While it did have the word Netflix in it, when you look closer it shows that it's coming from Cuba," says Brian.
The back-half of the link reads Cubana.com. Brian says that's when his computer advised him to stop!
"The virus protection said that this is a dangerous website. Do not proceed," says Brian.
NATIONAL PHISHING SCAM
It turns out this is part of a phishing scam targeting people across the country. Click on the link and you're asked to update your credit card information.
Netflix says "If you received an email or text requesting information like your username, password, or payment method that looks like it came from Netflix, it probably did not."
TO AVOID FALLING VICTIM
Netflix says:
-- "Don't click the link when in doubt." Instead, contact Netflix directly.
-- "Never provide personal or financially sensitive information."
-- "Install anti-virus software to help guard your devices and personal information."
Fortunately Jade never clicked the link. She did reply to the text message before checking with her dad.
"Then when I got like two more only a couple days later, I was like, I probably should not have done that," says Jade.
Brian and his family know it's another reminder the internet can be a dangerous place.
"It's a dangerous Internet world. It's the wild wild West. It's even worse than that because at least in the wild wild West you had a sheriff protecting the town. We all have to be our own individual sheriffs," says Brian.
