The Police have observed the re-emergence of phishing scams cases involving spoof emails from Netflix. Since July 2022, at least five victims had fallen prey, with total losses amounting to at least $12,500.
Victims would receive emails allegedly from trusted sources such as Netflix. The scammers would trick recipients into clicking on a URL link to renew their subscriptions. Upon clicking on the URL links, victims would be redirected to phishing websites where they would be asked to provide their credit or debit card details and One-Time Passwords (OTPs). Victims would only realise that they have been scammed when they discover unauthorised transactions made using their credit or debit card.
The Police would like to advise members of the public to take the following precautions when they receive emails claiming to be from trusted sources such as Netflix:
- Email domain does not match the merchant requesting for payment; and
- Website URL appears dubious.
The Police would also like to advise members of the public to follow these crime prevention measures:
- Do not click on URL links provided in unsolicited emails and text messages;
- Always verify the authenticity of the information with the official website or sources;
- Never disclose your personal or Internet banking details and OTP to anyone; and
- Report any fraudulent credit/debit card charges to your bank and cancel your card immediately.
If you have information related to such crimes or if you are in doubt, please call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. Please dial ‘999’ if you require urgent Police assistance.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688. Join the ‘Spot the Signs. Stop the Crimes.’ campaign at www.scamalert.sg/fight by signing up as an advocate to receive up-to-date messages and share them with your family and friends. Together, we can help stop scams and prevent our loved ones from becoming the next victim.
Annex A
Images of Scam Emails
Phishing email address from Netflix with “@xtra.co.nz” email domain
Members of public are reminded to check the email address to verify the email domain.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
18 July 2022 @ 10:05 PM