At least $40,000 lost to Netflix phishing scams in Singapore since October

SINGAPORE – Phishing scams involving spoof e-mails from Netflix are emerging again, with at least 35 cases related to the ruse since Oct 1, said the police.

In a statement on Nov 27, the police said the total losses from the scams have added up to at least $40,000.

In the scam, victims would first receive an e-mail purportedly from Netflix, claiming that there were issues with payment or subscription which resulted in a temporary suspension of their accounts.

Upon clicking on the links, the victims would be redirected to phishing websites where they would be asked to provide their banking credentials or credit and debit card details.

The scammers would allegedly use these details to make unauthorised purchases on the victims’ credit and debit cards.

Victims would realise they have been scammed only when they discover unauthorised transactions on their credit and debit cards or in their bank statements.

The police said Netflix would never ask for personal information, such as credit and debit card numbers and bank account details, in a text or e-mail.

They advised members of the public to practise “ACT” measures – add security features, check for signs, and tell the authorities and others about scams – in order to protect themselves against scams.

In July 2022,

at least five people fell victim

to a similar ruse, with total losses from the scams adding up to at least $12,500.