A text message with a link claims that the monthly payment for your Netflix membership has been declined and that your account is “suspended” or “on hold.”
fact check
In May 2022, Google and Twitter users reported that they were at the end of an SMS scam that claimed their Netflix accounts had been suspended because a membership payment was declined. A version of the message read: “ALRT: Your most recent Netflix membership payment was declined and your account is suspended.” This was nothing more than a dangerous phishing scam, and an old one at that. The scammers’ goal appeared to be to obtain login credentials and other personal information, all of which should be strictly protected from readers.
These types of text messages contain links that lead to websites that look like the Netflix website but are actually fakes operated by scammers. We strongly advise against clicking on the links or entering any information.
If readers receive such a text message and are unsure whether it is a scam, simply delete it without clicking any of the links. After deleting, visit Netflix official website (Netflix.com) and check your account billing page if everything is ok.
Account “Suspended” or “On Hold” scam
Another text message shared in a tweet read as follows: “From: NETFLIX. MSG: We were unable to process the monthly Netflix payment for May and the account is temporarily suspended. See the full details in the attachment below.” (We’ve corrected various scammers’ misspellings.)
A search on Twitter revealed that this type of scam has also been circulating for the past few years. For example in November 2020 a user tweeted about receiving the following text message: “Your Netflix account will be suspended because your payment was declined.” It also contained a malicious link.
Still 2019 Different version of the same Netflix SMS payment scam read as follows, also with a dangerous link: “Warning! We’ve made multiple attempts to process your payment for your next billing cycle. Unfortunately we are having problems with your payment method. Please correct any errors before the account is suspended.”
Netflix ‘free 1 year subscription’ scam.
A similar SMS scam that also circulated in the past claims that users could get a free year of Netflix due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It read: “Due to the pandemic, Netflix is giving everyone a free 1-year subscription so you can stay at home. Get yours here.”
Netflix guide
To help its users, the Netflix website once published a page titled “Phishing or suspicious emails or texts claiming to be from Netflix”.
It states that Netflix “will never ask you to enter your personal information in a text or email.” According to the site, this includes credit or debit card numbers, bank account information, and Netflix passwords. “We will never request payment through a third party or website,” she added.
We reached out to Netflix to find out what types of text messages the company might be sending to users. This story will be updated should we receive an answer.
Sources:
@arksolvers. TwitterMay 25, 2022, https://twitter.com/arksolvers/status/1529634364866412544.
@HondoResists. Twitter11/26/2020, https://twitter.com/hondoresists/status/1332161830387675137.
@HuffmanForNC. TwitterJanuary 23, 2021, https://twitter.com/HuffmanForNC/status/1353182032554319873.
“Phishing or suspicious emails or texts claiming to be from Netflix.” Netflix Help Centerhttps://help.netflix.com/de/node/65674.
@tonygood2. TwitterMay 25, 2022, https://twitter.com/tonygood2/status/1529574693497446402.
@vickybunnyangel. TwitterDec 1, 2019, https://twitter.com/vickybunnyangel/status/1201347145183498240.
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