3 Ways Cyber ​​Criminals Hacked Into Netflix Accounts | Antivirus

Today's Internet users are no longer yesterday's surfers: We are consumers, and hackers know that. While one customer is shopping at Amazon, the other is shopping at Alibaba. While one customer is watching the new popular series on Amazon Prime, another is doing exactly the same on Netflix. There are a ton of on-demand services out there these days, and Netflix is ​​one of the most popular worldwide with 148 subscribers. Don't give any chance to cybercriminals, take the support of antivirus.

However, the strong growth of the streaming platform has been accompanied by an increase in hacking and all sorts of scams. The graph below from Vade Secures Phishers' Favorites report shows the growth of Netflix phishing in the first quarter of 2019 alone. In Q2 2019, Netflix was ranked # 4 on the list of the most vulnerable brands in phishing attacks.

User accounts on online platforms of this kind are of great value in the hidden black markets on the Net, with several hundred thousand accounts for sale. Hulu, HBO Now, DirectTV, Spotify Premium, Brazzers, Pornhub, CBS, NBC, and of course Netflix are just a few of the brands whose stolen accounts are on the black market for $ 1.50 to $ 3.00 apiece.

But how do the hackers get into an account? Information is the first step in protecting yourself. 

Well executed phishing campaigns

Netflix is ​​one of the most widely pirated brands in the phishing world. These fake emails, which impersonate a brand and its visual identity, are designed to invite the recipient to do something: click a link that starts the malware, pays a bill online, enters account details, or add information to a bank account. According to our Phishers' Favorites Q2 2019 report, the most common Netflix phishing emails are on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Not all pages have the same purpose. Some mimic creating an account and a payment page, while others pretend they are the login page to an account.

Login page

Hackers also create email campaigns that use the company's email model to promote a new season of a popular series. Netflix users also frequently receive emails asking them to reactivate their account or re-enter their payment details. The cybercriminals often incorporate legitimate Netflix links - up to seven per email - in an attempt to fool both email security filters and end-users.

 Telephone operator accounts

The second most common way to hack Netflix is ​​by creating an account through a phone service provider. Few consumers know, but it is now possible to create an account through the phone service provider. Under the “subscription options” it is possible to find a “partner”, and this includes the on-demand services of third parties.

Hacking such an account will allow logging into a third-party account. This scam works because an amount only a few dollars more often goes unnoticed by families who have their telephone and Internet connection with the same provider.

That is why it is so important that you regularly look at your bank statement.

Most video-on-demand services today are natively integrated into connected televisions. Such account types can often be found in hotels or Airbnb vacation rentals. The mistake is often made of not logging out when leaving the accommodation. It is not uncommon to find forgotten accounts in such devices, giving hackers access to unsuspecting users' email accounts and phone numbers.

So you must log out of your account on the television before leaving your accommodation.

What Should You Do If Your Account Has Been Hacked?

If your account has been hacked, you should contact Netflix. If you still have access to the account yourself, you can use “Log out of all devices” to log out of all devices that are currently using the account. Then all you have to do is change the password. You should also change your password for all other online accounts.