If you’ve ever signed up for a streaming service’s free trial, your inbox might be filled to the brim with offers to try the service again. However, beware; some of these “offers” might actually be flat-out scams, designed to steal your personal information.
Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky reported on an alarming increase in scams targeting users interested in streaming. One of the ways these scammers do this is by creating fake sign-up pages for services like Netflix and Hulu. You think you’re entering your financial information signing up for a free trial, but scammers are really getting that information for nothing.
You’ll never run into an issue going through official websites like Netflix.com or Hulu.com. However, if you find yourself looking at a sign up page you aren’t sure about, make sure to inspect it closely; fake sign-up pages are often full of spelling and grammar mistakes, and don’t exactly match what you’d expect from an official company like Netflix.
As mentioned above, also be on high-alert for fake offers via email. Scammers will email you pretending to be a streaming service with an awesome offer. Don’t buy it. Don’t click on these links if you cannot verify the identity of the sender. Just as with the fake sign-up pages, investigate the email for any mistakes that identify it as a red flag.
