How to identify fake letters like "Notification Concerning Your Netflix Account"

What is "Notification Concerning Your Netflix Account"?

While examining the mail, we discovered it to be a phishing email, a fraudulent attempt to extract personal information from recipients. This letter is disguised as a notification from Netflix regarding the recipient's Netflix account. Anyone who receives this letter should disregard it.

More about the "Notification Concerning Your Netflix Account" scam email

The scam email purports to be from Netflix, claiming that the recipient has a notification regarding their Netflix account. It contains a link prompting the recipient to "View Digital Notification". The email is signed off as from the "Netflix Team". However, it is important to note that this email is a phishing attempt aimed at tricking recipients into clicking on the link.

The "View Digital Notification" link opens a fake Netflix website. This site contains a message claiming there is a problem with the recipient's billing information and prompts them to update their payment method to a debit card to avoid service interruption.

The message reassures the recipient that updating their payment method will enable Netflix to deliver more value for their membership, suggesting that it will lead to better content and service. Overall, the page is designed to appear legitimate and trustworthy while coercing the recipient into providing their personal information under false pretenses.

Upon analysis, it became evident that the scammers orchestrating this deceptive page have a specific goal: to obtain login credentials for Netflix accounts. These credentials typically include the user's email or phone number and password. Once obtained, these credentials can be used for nefarious purposes.

Scammers can hijack the victim's Netflix account, gaining unrestricted access to their subscription benefits and personal viewing history. This unauthorized access not only compromises the victim's privacy but also enables the scammers to exploit the account for their own entertainment or even sell access to others on the dark web.

Moreover, the misuse of these credentials extends beyond the confines of Netflix itself. Since many users have a tendency to reuse passwords across multiple online accounts, scammers can attempt to access other platforms using the same credentials obtained from the Netflix scam.

This can lead to a domino effect of security breaches, potentially compromising the victim's sensitive data across various online services. Therefore, the ramifications of falling victim to such scams can be far-reaching and extend well beyond the immediate context of the Netflix account.

Threat Summary:

Name	Notification Concerning Your Netflix Account Email Scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Recipient has received a notification concerning their account
Disguise	Letter from Netflix
Related Domain	n-plandb[.]sbs
Detection Names	Sophos (Spam), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Symptoms	Unauthorized online purchases, changed online account passwords, identity theft, illegal access of the computer.
Distribution methods	Deceptive emails, rogue online pop-up ads, search engine poisoning techniques, misspelled domains.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Similar scam emails in general

Scams of this type typically share common characteristics aimed at exploiting users' trust and inducing them to divulge sensitive information. They often impersonate reputable companies or services, such as Netflix, and create a sense of urgency or concern to prompt immediate action.

Whether through phishing emails or fraudulent web pages, these scams utilize convincing language and familiar branding to deceive users into providing login credentials or financial details. Also, fraudsters can use emails (and web pages) to deliver malware.

Some examples of phishing emails are "WeTransfer - You Have Received Files", "SharePoint Invoice", and "PayPal - Important Account Update Required".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malware can infiltrate via email through malicious attachments and links. Cybercriminals can embed malware within file attachments, such as documents or executable files, which, when opened, can execute the malware on the recipient's device. Additionally, phishing emails may contain links to fake websites designed to trick users into downloading malware unwittingly.

These tactics rely on social engineering to exploit human vulnerabilities, such as curiosity or urgency, prompting users to take actions that compromise the security of their devices and networks.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Exercise caution when dealing with email attachments and links, particularly those from unknown sources, and bolster your security with reputable antivirus software. Keep your operating system, applications, and security tools up to date to minimize vulnerabilities. Additionally, practice safe browsing habits by sticking to trusted sources for downloads, such as official websites and app stores.

Avoid engaging with dubious content online, including advertisements and alerts, and refrain from downloading pirated software or using activation bypass tools, which can harbor malware. If you have already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "Notification Concerning Your Netflix Account" email letter:

Subject: We need your attention on this!

You have a Notification concerning your Netflix account.

View Digital Notification    

Netflix Team

The appearance of a fake Netflix page used in this scam (GIF):

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is Notification Concerning Your Netflix Account phishing campaign?
• Types of malicious emails.
• How to spot a malicious email?
• What to do if you fell for an email scam?

Types of malicious emails:

Phishing Emails

Most commonly, cybercriminals use deceptive emails to trick Internet users into giving away their sensitive private information, for example, login information for various online services, email accounts, or online banking information.

Such attacks are called phishing. In a phishing attack, cybercriminals usually send an email message with some popular service logo (for example, Microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix), create urgency (wrong shipping address, expired password, etc.), and place a link which they hope their potential victims will click on.

After clicking the link presented in such email message, victims are redirected to a fake website that looks identical or extremely similar to the original one. Victims are then asked to enter their password, credit card details, or some other information that gets stolen by cybercriminals.

Emails with Malicious Attachments

Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.

In such attacks, cybercriminals' main goal is to trick their potential victims into opening an infected email attachment. To achieve this goal, email messages usually talk about recently received invoices, faxes, or voice messages.

If a potential victim falls for the lure and opens the attachment, their computers get infected, and cybercriminals can collect a lot of sensitive information.

While it's a more complicated method to steal personal information (spam filters and antivirus programs usually detect such attempts), if successful, cybercriminals can get a much wider array of data and can collect information for a long period of time.

Sextortion Emails

This is a type of phishing. In this case, users receive an email claiming that a cybercriminal could access the webcam of the potential victim and has a video recording of one's masturbation.

To get rid of the video, victims are asked to pay a ransom (usually using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency). Nevertheless, all of these claims are false - users who receive such emails should ignore and delete them.

How to spot a malicious email?

While cyber criminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:

• Check the sender's ("from") email address: Hover your mouse over the "from" address and check if it's legitimate. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft, be sure to check if the email address is @microsoft.com and not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com, @microsfot.com, @account-security-noreply.com, etc.
• Check for generic greetings: If the greeting in the email is "Dear user", "Dear @youremail.com", "Dear valued customer", this should raise suspiciousness. Most commonly, companies call you by your name. Lack of this information could signal a phishing attempt.
• Check the links in the email: Hover your mouse over the link presented in the email, if the link that appears seems suspicious, don't click it. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft and the link in the email shows that it will go to firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0... you shouldn't trust it. It's best not to click any links in the emails but to visit the company website that sent you the email in the first place.
• Don't blindly trust email attachments: Most commonly, legitimate companies will ask you to log in to their website and to view any documents there; if you received an email with an attachment, it's a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application. Infected email attachments are a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.

To minimise the risk of opening phishing and malicious emails we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows. 

Example of a spam email:

What to do if you fell for an email scam?

• If you clicked on a link in a phishing email and entered your password - be sure to change your password as soon as possible. Usually, cybercriminals collect stolen credentials and then sell them to other groups that use them for malicious purposes. If you change your password in a timely manner, there's a chance that criminals won't have enough time to do any damage.
• If you entered your credit card information - contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the situation. There's a good chance that you will need to cancel your compromised credit card and get a new one.
• If you see any signs of identity theft - you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. This institution will collect information about your situation and create a personal recovery plan.
• If you opened a malicious attachment - your computer is probably infected, you should scan it with a reputable antivirus application. For this purpose, we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
• Help other Internet users - report phishing emails to Anti-Phishing Working Group, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, National Fraud Information Center and U.S. Department of Justice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why did I receive this email?

Criminals distribute identical emails to numerous recipients, banking on the chance that at least one person will be deceived. These spam messages lack personalization and are mass-produced for widespread dissemination, targeting even those who may not have Netflix accounts.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by this email, what should I do?

If you have unwittingly provided personal information after falling for a phishing email, take immediate action to secure your accounts. Change passwords for affected accounts, monitor your financial statements for any suspicious activity, and consider reporting the incident to the relevant authorities or institutions.

I have downloaded and opened a malicious file attached to an email, is my computer infected?

Whether your computer is infected depends largely on the type of file you opened. Certain file types, such as executable files (.exe) or script files (.js, .vbs), are more likely to contain malware that can infect your system upon execution. However, other file types, like documents or multimedia files may pose a lower risk of infection.

I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?

Simply opening an email poses no threat by itself. However, clicking on links within the email or opening attached files can result in system infections.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?

Combo Cleaner can detect and remove nearly all known malware infections. Sophisticated malware often embeds deeply within the system. Therefore, conducting a full system scan is essential to ensure thorough detection and removal of any hidden threats.

▼ Show Discussion