Phishers Spoof Netflix and Send Fake Account Closure Notice to Steal Sensitive Information
In this phishing attack, cybercriminals impersonate Netflix using a spoofed sender address to deliver a fraudulent account closure notice. The email, with the subject line “Last reminder before closing your NetfIix account [DD-937850-D3206],” claims that the recipient’s account is at risk of permanent closure due to a billing issue. The message urges immediate action and instructs the target to update their payment information by clicking the provided link. However, should they click the button labeled “Continue”, they will be redirected through a URL shortener that obfuscates the true link destination to a malicious website designed to steal sensitive account information.
Older, legacy email security tools struggle to accurately identify this email as an attack because the message originates from a spoofed sender, lacks attachments, and employs the use of a URL shortener. However, modern AI-powered email security solutions identify the use of urgent language common in phishing tactics, recognize that the sender is unknown to the recipient, and detect links leading to suspicious domains in the email content to correctly identify the email as an attack.
To protect against attacks like this, employees should avoid clicking on links in unexpected account notifications and instead verify issues by visiting the official Netflix website directly. Organizations can reduce risk by educating employees on phishing tactics and deploying advanced email security solutions that detect spoofed branding and redirection-based attacks.
Phishing attack posing as a Netflix account notification
How Does This Attack Bypass Email Defenses?
This email attack bypasses traditional security solutions for multiple reasons, including the following:
- Spoofed Email Address: The attacker spoofs a legitimate-sounding email address, bypassing basic email verification checks and adding perceived authenticity.
- Lack of Attachments: By not including any attachments, the email avoids detection by antivirus and anti-malware systems focused on attachment-based threats.
- Use of URL Shortener: The email includes a link shortened by a URL shortener, which helps it pass link verification checks by masking the true destination.
How Did Abnormal Detect This Attack?
This attack was detected using AI and ML by analyzing various factors, including the following:
- Content Analysis: The email’s urgent message is flagged by Abnormal’s content analysis algorithms as a common phishing tactic.
- Unknown Sender Consideration: The email is recognized as coming from an unknown sender who has never communicated with the recipient. Abnormal’s platform maintains a communication history and quickly flags deviations from established sender-recipient interaction patterns.
- Suspicious Link Analysis: Abnormal's systems scrutinize the presence of links leading to suspicious domains, triggering deeper analysis for possible malicious intent.
By recognizing established normal behavior and detecting these abnormal indicators, a modern email security solution has the ability to prevent this attack from reaching inboxes.
Please note the exact detection mechanism from Abnormal Security's system might include proprietary techniques and methodologies not disclosed here.