Cybersecurity
6 Immediate Steps You Should Take if Your Netflix Account is Hacked
Netflix is one of the most popular streaming services with nearly 231 million subscribers around the world. The platform has become an essential part of many people's daily entertainment routines.
Netflix is one of the most popular streaming services with nearly 231 million subscribers around the world. The platform has become an essential part of many people's daily entertainment routines. Unfortunately, like any online service, Netflix accounts can be vulnerable to hacking. It is a risk inherent to any service protected only by a username and password.
If you experience an account hack, it can be shocking, confusing, and frustrating. You may not know exactly what to do and may react without thinking first. Acting impulsively in this situation can make things worse. Here are the steps to take when you suspect someone has hacked your Netflix account.
How Does a Netflix Hack Typically Work?
Phishing overload is a problem that attackers take advantage of in these types of breaches. People receive fake emails all the time that spoof brands like Netflix. One common phishing ploy is an email stating there has been suspicious activity on your account, with a link to a spoofed site that looks like the brand's normal login page.
This is a classic trick to steal your login credentials. Hacked Netflix accounts typically go for around $12 each on the dark web.
People get numb to these emails because they receive so many of them and tend to tune them out. Attackers take advantage of this, hoping you will ignore the real warnings from Netflix about a suspicious login. They lay low and wait for you to receive several of these emails so you will dismiss the genuine ones. Then they attempt a takeover.
A typical Netflix hack scenario might look like this. The account owner gets an email about a suspicious login, often from a different country. They may log in to check for unknown devices and find none because the attacker has already logged out. The goal is to get you to check, see nothing wrong, and assume the real notice was phishing.
This same pattern may repeat two to four more times over the span of a month. Once the attacker feels the user is ignoring the Netflix warnings, they make their move. They add their own credit card to your account so they can call Netflix and provide a method of verification. They may upgrade your subscription to a higher plan.
They also typically replace any user profile names with numbers. At this point, the account owner receives an email noting a change in account information such as the account email, password, or phone number. The attacker is now trying to lock the account owner out.
What Do You Do If Someone Has Hacked Your Netflix Account?
1. Go to the Netflix site and try to log in. If you suspect a hacked account, visit the Netflix site directly from your browser. Do not go through a link received via email, direct message, or SMS. See if you can log in using your password. You may be able to if you caught the attacker before they locked you out.
If not, skip to step four and call Netflix support.
2. If you can log in, change your password immediately. If you can access your account, change the password right away. Ensure it is a strong password that is at least 10 to 12 characters in length with a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. Do not use a variation of the breached password or any part of your old password.
3. If you can log in, remove any unfamiliar payment methods. Go to the payment methods area and remove any payment method that is not yours. Attackers often add another payment card to verify the account with Netflix support.
Note that if you remove your own payment card, you will need another way to verify your account with Netflix, so you may want to call Netflix support before doing this.
4. Call Netflix support. Contact Netflix support whether you have or have not succeeded in logging in. There may be things the attacker has done that you are not aware of, such as changing subscription information. Let the support representative know you believe your account has been compromised. They will walk you through the process of undoing what the attacker has done.
5. Watch your bank statements. Continue to monitor your bank statements for any unusual charges after any account hack.
6. Change the password for other accounts that used the same password. People often reuse the same or a nearly identical password across multiple accounts. Make sure to change the password for any accounts that shared the compromised one.
Get Help Securing Your Passwords and Accounts.
Do not wait until a hack happens to you. The team at Cyber One Solutions can help you put proper password security solutions in place. Contact us today to schedule a chat.