Netflix account takeover is more prevalent than ever, and you need to know what it is, what to do about it, and how to protect all your streaming accounts.
Imagine you wake up one morning, grab your cell phone, and see an email from Netflix that you logged into your account somewhere in the night from a location far away. You know you were sleeping, so it makes no sense. You run to the computer, try to log into your Netflix account, and find you have been locked out. Someone has taken over your account without your permission and stolen it. Now you can’t use it, but you are still paying for it because your credit card number is locked inside with the hacker.
Some hackers steal your account and keep using it for as long as they can. Typically, people pay with a debit or credit card, and it’s automatically charged each month, so until you cancel the card or realize your account has been hacked, you may not even notice someone else is drafting off your account.
Hackers steal your Netflix or other streaming accounts because they can sell the login on the dark web. Netflix logins sometimes go for $1 apiece or more. With a massive list from a data breach, a budding hacker could make a good amount of money.
Most often, if someone is able to get into your Netflix account, it is through credential stuffing. That is when hackers acquire lists of known usernames/password combos that work on other websites, and they try them all over the internet to find out if they unlock others.
Unfortunately, if you reuse any passwords, you are vulnerable to credential stuffing. Since so many data breaches have occurred, many that included plain text usernames/passwords, your information is probably out there.
If you do find out one day that someone has taken over your Netflix account, you can fix it. Call the 800-number on Netflix’s website and speak with an account representative.
Tell them exactly what has happened. They may ask you for some security question answers to verify you are the correct owner (such as the last four digits of the credit card on file). They will first secure the account by changing your email address to another one that you supply. Next, they will change the password and turn on two-factor authentication so that it won’t happen again.
If the hacker added any user profiles, you can then log into your Netflix account with the new password supplied by the account rep and delete them. They may have added movies and TV shows to your queue as well. Clean that up and then take the next steps.
The next steps to take would be:
Accessing your Netflix account is only one aspect of identity theft. With enough information, cybercriminals can take over a lot more than just your digital accounts.
Any type of account takeover is scary and frustrating. If they access your financial information, it can be even worse. Some other steps to ensure your digital security and privacy are:
Your best protection going forward is going to be common sense. Keep a close eye on your digital life and periodically review accounts, passwords, and personal information that you may not want to be exposed.