Scammers are taking aim at Disney+ subscribers and using phishing tactics to gather personal banking information from unsuspecting users.
In a new phishing scam, unsavory characters are sending emails to Disney+ subscribers that look like the real thing. This fools subscribers into giving out personal information, including credit or debit card information, banking information, and even online banking login credentials. The premise of the scam is that a payment due on the user’s Disney+ account was unable to be processed and therefore, the account is in danger of cancelation if the user doesn’t act immediately.
Disney+ subscribers need to be aware of the new scam and pay close attention to their email accounts, so they don’t become the next victims of this streaming service scam.
Here’s how it works, per Kiplinger:
Scammers create look-alike email addresses and messages which mirror official Disney+ emails to confuse subscribers. A typical scam email tells the recipient that Disney+ has been unable to renew their subscription due to a “technical incident.”
The scammers’ ploy sounds harmless enough–and that’s exactly why it works in fooling Disney+ subscribers into revealing their banking information or credit card numbers via a link in the scammers’ email that takes users to a website that isn’t affiliated with the Disney+ official website. There, users are asked to provide banking information–information that sometimes includes their online banking login details. If the user discloses that information, nothing happens to his Disney+ account. Rather, scammers are awarded unrestricted access to the customer’s online bank accounts.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says the way this Disney+ scam functions is like the functions of phishing scams that pretend to be a trusted business, and even create email messages that lead the user to believe they are from that business, making the user feel comfortable in sharing sensitive financial information.
Users can protect themselves by being aware of the types of statements phishing scammers make via email messages. They can include the following:
- “We’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts”
- “There’s a problem with your account or your payment information”
- “We were unable to process your payment”
- “Click this link to make a payment”
Most phishing scams lead the consumer to click on a different link. That’s where the scammers gather information from the consumer that will then be used to siphon money from their accounts or use their credit or debit cards.
Kiplinger’s site gives some tips on how to protect yourself from being scammed when it comes to your Disney+ streaming account.
- If you receive an unexpected email with similar messaging telling you to act immediately, don’t panic. Take a moment to read the email all the way through.
- Check the sender’s email address, and hover over the URL they ask you to click. If the email address looks odd, or the link doesn’t look like the official Disney+ URL, (https://www.disneyplus.com/), proceed with caution or don’t click on it at all.
- Before clicking, try to log into your Disney+ account in a separate browser tab and check around to see if your payment details are in order. If you’re still concerned, reach out to Disney+ on its support channels directly.
Disney has stated that representatives will never contact Disney+ subscribers via social media, email, text, or phone and ask for payment or for banking information, passwords, or payment details. Users who receive these types of communication should steer clear of the communication and refrain from disclosing any information.