No, Netflix isn’t offering free subscriptions due to COVID — don’t fall for the scam

If a text message promising free Netflix sounds too good to be true, you’d be right — it’s one of the latest phishing scams, according to the Better Business Bureau.

The agency said Friday it has gotten numerous reports of the scam, which offers recipients free Netflix for a year as a way to encourage customers to stay home during the coronavirus pandemic.

The text message reads something like this: “Due to the pandemic, Netflix is offering everyone a free year of service to help you stay at home. Click the link to sign up.”

Recipients who click the link are directed to a website where they’re prompted to provide their personal information and a payment method, the agency said.

But the website isn’t run by Netflix — filling out the forms gives your personal and financial information to scammers.

One victim told the agency that scammers repeatedly charged their credit card even after a refund had been requested.

“[The scammers] said no other money would be taken out of my account again,” the victim reported through the BBB scam tracker. “Then, about a week later, they took $39.99, and I called and asked for a refund. They told me 3 days at first. Then, after 3 days I called back, and they told me 7-10 business days. It’s been 10 business days. And now I have no refund.”

If you receive a text message promising free Netflix for a year and click the link, the streaming platform recommends changing your password on the site and updating it on any other sites that use the same email and password combination.

The BBB warns cellphone users to be vigilant when they receive unsolicited text messages. Here are some of its tips:

• If you receive a text message with an offer that seems strange, be sure to follow up with the company. Look up the company’s contact information online and call or email to see if it can confirm the text message is legitimate.
• If you click a link from a text message, examine the web address carefully to make sure it’s the company’s actual web page and not a look-alike.
• Don’t reply STOP or NO to messages you think may be a scam — scammers often prompt recipients to reply to determine if the phone number is active. Instead, just block the number.

If you receive a text message from scammers, you can also report it using the BBB scam tracker at BBB.org/ScamTracker.

This story was originally published January 18, 2021 at 4:38 PM with the headline "No, Netflix isn’t offering free subscriptions due to COVID — don’t fall for the scam."