The popularity of Netflix makes it a preferred subject for phishing emails and phishing text messages, which are referred to as smishing.  Smishing is the name given to text messages that lure you into clicking on links or providing personal information in response to a text message from what appears to be a trusted source, such as a company with which you do business.  Smishing scams are increasing in frequency as more and more companies communicate with their customers through text messages.

Reproduced below is a smishing text message that appears to come from Netflix and lures you into clicking on a link that takes you to a phony, but legitimate appearing Netflix page that asks for your Netflix username, password and credit card number.  If you supply this information, you will become a victim of identity theft.  Here is the smishing text message presently circulating.  DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK.

TIPS

As I always say, “trust me, you can’t trust anyone.”  You can never be truly sure when you receive an email  or a text message seeking either personal information such as your credit card number or prompting you to click on a link whether or not the email or text message is a scam.  The risk of clicking on a link or providing the requested information is just too high. Instead, if you think that the email might be legitimate, you should contact the company at a telephone number that you know is legitimate and find out whether or not the email or text message was a scam.

As for Netflix in particular, it will never ask in an email or text message for any of your personal information so anytime you get an email or text message purportedly from Netflix asking for your credit card number, Social Security number or any other personal information, it is a scam.  Here is a link to Netflix’s security page for information about staying secure in regard to your Netflix account. https://help.netflix.com/en/node/13243

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