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Netflix users have been urged to be on the lookout for a new email scam that is doing the rounds this month.
The email looks eerily authentic, and claims that your account has been put on hold.
The only way to keep using your account, it claims, is to update your payment details.
Clicking the link included in the email will take you to what looks like the official Netflix sign-in page, where you'll be asked to hand over your personal details.
This includes your Netflix username, password, home address, and card details.
'Although phishing emails have been around since the birth of the email address, AI technology has now enabled criminal gangs to generate phishing campaigns at speed and to more email addresses than ever,' said Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor at ESET.
'Cybercriminals have been taking advantage of AI to target email addresses in huge numbers and they are also able to make authentic looking login pages with ease to deceive users into divulging personal information or account credentials.
'Like traditional phishing attacks, however, these scams will often still attempt to create a sense of urgency, prompting recipients to act quickly without verifying the true sender’s origin or even without thinking at all.'
Netflix users have been urged to be on the lookout for a new email scam that is doing the rounds this month
The email looks eerily authentic, and claims that your account has been put on hold. The only way to keep using your account, it claims, is to update your payment details
The email scam has been circulating for several weeks now, and includes the subject line 'Let's tackle your payment details.'
Once opened, the email looks near identical to legitimate emails sent to customers by Netflix.
'Your account is on hold. Please update your payment details,' it reads.
'We're having some trouble with your current billing information.
'We'll try again, but in the meantime you may want to update your payment details.'
The email then includes a red link reading 'UPDATE ACCOUNT NOW', before signing off '-Your friends at Netflix'.
While the email looks convincing, there is one key clue that it's a scam.
The email address the message has come from is an iCloud email domain.
In contrast, Netflix's authentic emails will always come from an email address ending in netflix.com.
'If you get an email or text message (SMS) asking for your Netflix account email, phone, password, or payment method it probably didn't come from Netflix,' Netflix advises on its website.
If you receive the email and are not sure if it's authentic, Mr Moore advises logging into your account.
'It is always important to research into any emails requesting personal or sensitive information and it’s advisable to avoid downloading any attachments,' he told MailOnline.
'Whilst it’s best to avoid entering any details into a link sent by an email address, it can be reassuring to log into your account via the genuine app to see which communications are genuine.'
HOW TO CHECK IF YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IS COMPROMISED
Have I Been Pwned?
Cybersecurity expert and Microsoft regional director Tory Hunt runs 'Have I Been Pwned'.
The website lets you check whether your email has been compromised as part of any of the data breaches that have happened.
If your email address pops up you should change your password.
Pwned Passwords
To check if your password may have been exposed in a previous data breach, go to the site's homepage and enter your email address.
The search tool will check it against the details of historical data breaches that made this information publicly visible.
If your password does pop up, you're likely at a greater risk of being exposed to hack attacks, fraud and other cybercrimes.
Mr Hunt built the site to help people check whether or not the password they'd like to use was on a list of known breached passwords.
The site does not store your password next to any personally identifiable data and every password is encrypted
Other Safety Tips
Hunt provides three easy-to-follow steps for better online security. First, he recommends using a password manager, such as 1Password, to create and save unique passwords for each service you use.
Next, enable two-factor authentication. Lastly, keep abreast of any breaches
