In short
Most common fake: Emails or texts saying your payment failed and your membership will be suspended.
Safest check: Do not tap the link, go to netflix.com yourself or open the Netflix app and check your account.
Where to report it: Forward suspicious emails or text messages, and details of fake websites, apps or phone numbers, to phishing@netflix.com.
What Netflix says
Netflix says it will never ask for your card numbers, bank details or Netflix password in a text or email. It also says it never asks for payment through a third party vendor or website. Source: Netflix
Common fake Netflix messages
These are the 4 shapes a fake Netflix message usually takes. They are listed in the order we see them most often, and none of them is something Netflix itself does.
- Emails or texts saying your payment failed and your membership will be suspended
- Links to fake Netflix login or payment pages
- Fake websites, apps or phone numbers pretending to be Netflix customer service
- Messages asking you to confirm your password or card details
Netflix's real web addresses
Genuine Netflix links and emails use these domains. Look at the part just before the first single slash: netflix.com is real, but netflix-support-center.com or netflix.com.account-check.top are not.
- netflix.com
Scammers can also hide a fake link behind real-looking text. Learn how to read a web address.
How to check a Netflix message safely
- Do not tap the link, go to netflix.com yourself or open the Netflix app and check your account
- Check the sender address and hover over or press and hold links to see where they really go
- Review signed in devices in Manage Access and Devices and sign out any you do not recognise
How to report a fake Netflix message
- Forward suspicious emails or text messages, and details of fake websites, apps or phone numbers, to phishing@netflix.com. Official details on help.netflix.com
Also report it to the official fraud service in your country. See the worldwide list.
If you clicked, paid or shared details
Act quickly. It makes a difference.
- If you entered card or bank details, call your bank now using the number on your card, and ask them to block the card.
- If you entered a password, change it at netflix.com, typed into your browser yourself, and turn on two-step verification. Do not use any link from the message.
- Expect follow-up calls or messages pretending to help, sometimes claiming to be from Netflix security. Never share one-time codes and never move money to a "safe account".
- Forward suspicious emails or text messages, and details of fake websites, apps or phone numbers, to phishing@netflix.com, then delete the message.
More help: Phishing links and fake login pages and what to do after a scam.
How to protect yourself next time
Use a password manager
It only fills in your password on the real website, so a look-alike login page gets nothing. It also makes a different password for every account, so one leak doesn't open the rest.
Free: Bitwarden has a free plan, and even the password manager built into your phone or browser beats reusing one password everywhere.
- NordPass Partner link Password manager with a free plan and a family plan for up to six people.
Turn on two-step verification, ideally with a security key
With two-step verification, a stolen password isn't enough on its own. A hardware security key goes further: it simply doesn't work on a fake site, so it can't be phished.
Free: Two-step verification is free. Switch it on in the security settings of your email, bank, WhatsApp and social media accounts today.
- YubiKey (Yubico) Partner link A small USB or NFC key you tap when you log in. It will not work on a fake site.
Compare the tools that help, and what each costs
Links marked Partner link may earn us a commission, at no cost to you. It never changes our advice, and the free option always comes first. Affiliate disclosure.
Questions people ask
Does Netflix send messages asking for payment or personal details?
Netflix says it will never ask for your card numbers, bank details or Netflix password in a text or email. It also says it never asks for payment through a third party vendor or website.
How can I check if a Netflix message is real?
Do not tap the link, go to netflix.com yourself or open the Netflix app and check your account. Check the sender address and hover over or press and hold links to see where they really go. Review signed in devices in Manage Access and Devices and sign out any you do not recognise.
How do I report a fake Netflix message?
Forward suspicious emails or text messages, and details of fake websites, apps or phone numbers, to phishing@netflix.com.
I clicked a link in a fake Netflix message but did not enter anything. Am I at risk?
Opening a link is far less serious than filling one in. Close it, and if you need your account, reach it by typing netflix.com yourself. Clicking does tell the sender your number is live, so expect more messages for a while: forward suspicious emails or text messages, and details of fake websites, apps or phone numbers, to phishing@netflix.com.
Have you had this one?
Tell other people what the message said and how it reached you. It helps someone recognise it before they tap.
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Official sources and further reading
We check our pages against official advice from the organisations themselves and from government agencies.