Scammers using fake login pages for Netflix, Meta and more to access personal information
CHICAGO (WLS) -- They usually come to you in a text or an email, but there is a chance you could stumble on to one when searching online.
They are big brand names that you trust, and thieves are posing as the real deal to fool you.
These websites look like they could be legitimate log-in landing pages for brands like Microsoft, Google, Meta, USPS and even a fake sign in page for Netflix. And the scammers aren't trying to stream your shows!
"And so, some people at home may be asking, 'Well, why would they want my Netflix password?'" said ABC7 Consumer Investigator Jason Knowles.
"Do you have your credit card saved in your Netflix account?" said Karin Zilberstein with cybersecurity group Guardio. "All cybercrime leads to dollars... It might be in one step, it might be in a couple, but it all leads to financial loss."
Guardio recently found the fakes and listed the top sites and brands which are imitated the most.
"Many people have Microsoft accounts, Google accounts, Meta accounts. And it's very routine to receive such a request. The only thing with those requests is that they are not real. They are fake and they're phishing attempts trying to get people's login information," Zilberstein said.
Once the hacker fools you into signing in, they can steal your password, account information, and any other personal info you have stored into the account.
"So, with the rise of AI, all those fake websites that the communication leads to looks extremely real," Zilberstein said.
Here's another fraud, cloning the popular website Coinbase.
Guardio tech experts say you may see more crypto based scams like this now with a crypto friendly Donald Trump administration.
"We are seeing a spike in crypto scams, especially around election season and following. And we're expecting this trend to continue," Zilberstein said.
You should always avoid going to links sent to you and go directly to your account log-in or the company's home page on your own. Even if you don't give up info, simply clicking can install malware on your device.
You can also usually tell a link is fake by inspecting the address bar and URL. You can usually spot extra words and letters that don't match up or look right.
We also reached out to all of the brands which were imitated. Many of them said they proactively warn consumer of these scams and sent us links which educate consumers:
Microsoft shared that they encourage customers to always practice good computing habits online, including exercising caution when clicking on links to web pages, opening unknown files, or accepting file transfers from unknown sources.
Microsoft also recommend using a multi-layered security approach with strong authentication measures.
For more information, see: Phishing Protection and Prevention Solutions | Microsoft Security
