Most of us are well aware of email scams landing in our inboxes and we've become much more savvy about being tricked by them. However, cyber cooks are now using a clever new tactic to fool consumers and it's easy to see how some are being caught out. As spotted by the team at Abnormal, the latest hustle is targeting Disney+ subscribers with a message that suggests they owe extra money to the streaming service.
The email says that an automatic payment of around £40 will be taken from the account holder and the only way to stop it is to ring a number listed at the bottom of the message.
It might sound like just another rogue email but what makes this different from the usual attacks is how real things appear. The hackers are even using the address disney@mail.tv to send out the scam along with having the recipient's actual name at the start of the message.
Most scams are easy to spot as they feature a generic "Hello" or "Dear Sir" phrase that isn't user specific but that's not the case with this latest threat.
Disney+ scam (Abnormal)"What sets this attack apart is the level of personalization and attention to detail employed by the perpetrators, making it difficult for traditional security solutions and even vigilant individuals to identify it as malicious," Mike Britton from Abnormal explained.
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The email is also free from errors - another telltale sign - along with using full Disney+ branding.
If tricked into calling the number to stop the payments, it seems users are put through to the crooks who then try and gain bank details or even ask for remote access to PCs.
It's unclear how many people have been targeted but, for now, it seems the attacks have focused on US subscribers. That doesn't mean it won't spread to other parts of the world including the UK so it's a good idea to stay alert.
Disney+ has plenty of advice on how to avoid scams including not opening any attachments or clicking on links. The streaming service also says users should delete any emails or texts they are unsure of and ring the firm directly if they are worried.
"It’s possible that you may encounter “bad actors'' who attempt to impersonate Disney+ employees in order to gain access to your personal information, or otherwise scam you," said Disney.
"Disney+ will never ask you for personal information unless you willingly contact Disney+ and it is needed to resolve a problem."
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