Fake Netflix email: "payment problem"

"Your payment was declined." "Your Netflix membership will be suspended." "Update your billing details." If you get a message like this, be careful: it's a classic phishing trick. Netflix is one of the most copied brands, because millions of people have a subscription.

How the scam works

1. You receive an email with the red Netflix logo and an alarming message.
2. It says there's a payment problem and tells you to act fast.
3. An "Update payment" button leads to a fake site that looks very similar.
4. It asks for your email, your password, then your card number.
5. Sometimes a last page asks for the code sent by text message. That code approves a payment for the scammers.

Signs to look for

• Urgency: "within 24 hours", "final notice", a threat to suspend your account.
• The sender's address: the display name says "Netflix", but the address comes from another domain or a free mailbox.
• A strange link: hover over it without clicking. If the address isn't Netflix's, be suspicious.
• An impersonal greeting: "Dear customer", with no first name.
• Typos or odd wording, though many of these emails are well written now.
• A request for card details through a link in an email.

Be careful: a message can look perfectly genuine. The safest habit is never to use the link.

What to do

1. Don't click the button and don't reply.
2. Open the Netflix app or type the website address yourself. See whether a payment problem is shown.
3. If you worry about your card, call your bank.
4. Report it: in the US at reportfraud.ftc.gov, in the UK by forwarding the email to report@phishing.gov.uk.

What if I already clicked or paid?

• You entered your card details: contact your bank right away to block the card, then watch your statements.
• You gave your password: change it, and change it on any site where you reuse it.
• You gave a text message code: call your bank, as a payment may have been approved.
• Keep the email and screenshots, and report it to the police if you lost money.

To learn what to look for in any message, see how to spot a phishing email. The trick is the same as in the fake PayPal invoice: play on the fear of losing a service or money.

Check it with Fishi

Forward the suspicious email to check@fishi.email, ideally as an attachment so the technical details are kept. Fishi examines the sender, links, attachments and content, then replies with a clear verdict and what to do. It's free and needs no account. No tool is perfect: if in doubt, always go to the official app or website yourself.