Watch Out For The 'Your Netflix account has been suspended' Scam
Yet another scam trying to abuse the names of household brands is making the rounds. This latest one is called the "Your Netflix account has been suspended" scam and is distributed using SMS messages.
The scam claims that the potential victim's Netflix account has been "suspended" and they need to "recover" the account by following a link contained in the text message. The link is malicious and leads to a website that is not associated or affiliated with Netflix in any way.
The URL used by the phishing link is malicious and leads to a web page operated by the scam threat actors. Entering your information in the fake login form will not restore your Netflix account - on the contrary, it will give the bad actors your account credentials, which will lead to your account being hijacked.
The URL itself contains a few strings that attempt to make it look like it is operated by Netflix, but it also contains the string "weddingalinerika", which should be a big red flag that the page is malicious and has nothing to do with Netflix.
The scam uses simple social engineering scare tactics, claiming the victim's account will be suspended if action is not taken within 48 hours, which is of course another lie.
How can you recognize malicious phishing URLs in scam messages similar to the "Your Netflix account has been suspended" scam?
One of the most common ways to recognize malicious phishing URLs in scam messages similar to the "Your Netflix account has been suspended" scam is by looking for inconsistencies in the URL. For example, if the URL does not match the official website's domain name or if it contains additional characters that are not part of a legitimate URL, then it is likely a malicious phishing URL.
Additionally, you should be wary of any emails that contain urgent language or requests for personal information such as passwords or credit card numbers. Finally, you should always double-check any links provided in an email before clicking on them. If you hover over a link and it does not match the text of the link, then it is likely a malicious phishing URL.
