• by Ray Schultz , December 26, 2018

Phishing emails pretending to be from Netflix are designed to steal personal information from consumers, the Federal Trade Commission says in a Wednesday blog.

The emails state that Netflix is “having some trouble with your current billing information,” and that the account is on hold. “Please update your payment detail,” the headline says. Victims are asked to click on a link to update their payment method.

The FTC urges consumers to take a closer look at incoming emails. “While some phishing emails look completely legit, bad grammar and spelling can tip you off to phishing,” it says.

Other possible clues: “Your name is missing, or you don’t even have an account with the company. In the Netflix example, the scammer used the British spelling of “Center” (Centre) and used the greeting, “Hi Dear.” Listing only an international phone number for a U.S.-based company is also suspicious.”