Do not trust fake "Your Netflix Subscription Is Expiring Soon" emails
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of email is "Your Netflix Subscription Is Expiring Soon"?
After reading the "Your Netflix Subscription Is Expiring Soon" email, we determined that it is fake. This spam message is presented as an alert concerning an expiring subscription. The goal of this phishing email is to steal recipients' Netflix accounts.
It must be emphasized that this scam email is not associated with the Netflix streaming service or the media company behind it – Netflix, Inc.
"Your Netflix Subscription Is Expiring Soon" email scam overview
The spam email with the subject "Your Netflix Subscription is Expiring Soon – Don't Miss Out!" (may vary) is disguised as an alert from Netflix. It states that the recipient's subscription is due to expire soon. It elaborates that due to an unresolved issue, the user's membership and payment have been terminated. The recipient is invited to restart their membership.
It must be reiterated that the claims made by this email are false, and this mail is in no way associated with the actual Netflix, Inc.
After the "View or manage payment" button is pressed, it results in a redirect to a phishing website disguised as the Netflix sign-in page. Phishing sites record provided information and send it to scammers.
Hence, by attempting to sign in through this webpage – users can have their Netflix accounts hijacked. If the victim tends to reuse the same passwords, they also risk having their other accounts, platforms, and services stolen and abused.
If you have already entered your log-in credentials into a phishing page – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support.
| Name | "Your Netflix Subscription Is Expiring Soon" phishing email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Recipient's Netflix subscription is due to expire soon, and because of an unresolved issue – their membership and payment have been terminated. |
| Disguise | Netflix, Inc. |
| Related Domains | rcinc[.]org |
| Detection Names (rcinc[.]org) | N/A (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address (rcinc[.]org) | 173.236.181.71 |
| 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. |
Phishing spam campaign examples
We have analyzed thousands of spam emails; "Email Password Expiration", "404 Mail Delivery Failed", "Fifth Third Bank email scam", "Bank Of Scotland email scam", "Trust Wallet - New Security Alert", and "Beneficiary Of Will" are merely some of our latest articles on phishing campaigns.
Aside from log-in credentials, this mail commonly targets personally identifiable data and finance-related information. However, other scams like tech support, refund, sextortion, advance fee, and countless others are promoted through spam emails. These messages are also used to distribute malware.
Due to how widespread spam mail is and how well-crafted it can be – we highly recommend approaching incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages with caution.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Spam campaigns proliferate malware by distributing malicious files as attachments or download links. These files can be documents (PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), archives (RAR, ZIP, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.
Once such a file is opened – the infection chain is triggered. Some formats require additional actions to initiate malware download/installation. For example, Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents require them to click embedded links or files.
How to avoid installation of malware?
It is important to treat incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages with care. We advise against opening attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant mail, as they can be harmful or virulent.
It must be mentioned that malware is proliferated using various methods. Therefore, we recommend being cautious when browsing since the Internet is rife with fake and dangerous content.
Additionally, all downloads must be performed from official and verified sources. Another recommendation is to activate and update programs using functions/tools provided by genuine developers, as illegal activation ("cracking") tools and third-party updates can contain malware.
It is paramount for device/user safety to have a reputable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date. Security software must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected threats and issues. If you've already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.
Text presented in the "Your Netflix Subscription Is Expiring Soon" spam email letter:
Subject: Your Netflix Subscription is Expiring Soon – Don't Miss Out!
Your Netflix Subscription is Expiring Soon !
Hello,
Unfortunately, we were unable to resolve the issue with your payment and your membership has been terminated..
Of course we would be delighted to have you again. All you have to do is restart your membership.
View or manage payment
We thank you for your trust as a customer and we look forward to continuing to provide our services in the future.
Screenshot of the fake Netflix sign-in page promoted by this spam campaign:
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is "Your Netflix Subscription Is Expiring Soon" phishing email?
- 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?
Regardless of any relevant information that spam emails may include, they are not personal. This mail is sent out in massive operations – therefore, thousands of users receive identical (or incredibly similar) emails.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?
If you have provided your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay. However, if you've disclosed other private information (e.g., ID card details, passport scans/photos, credit/debit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact relevant authorities.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
Merely reading an email is harmless. Devices are infected when malicious attachments or links are opened/clicked.
I have downloaded and opened a file attached to a spam email, is my computer infected?
If the opened file was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes – the system was infected. However, you might have avoided compromising your device if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .pdf, .one, etc.). These formats may need additional user interaction (e.g., enabling macros, clicking embedded content, etc.) to initiate malware download/installation.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate most of the known malware infections. Note that running a full system scan is paramount since high-end malicious software usually hides deep within systems.
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