header rayknee glennon
Xena Donovan
I don't have a Netflix account and never have done. I have a Gmail address which I have never used for public communication. Suddenly I started getting email to this Gmail address from Netflix - not a "Welcome to Netflix" email or one requesting address verification, but what looked like a monthly promo for an existing account. This was addressed to someone with a different real name, with that name not similar in any way to the Gmail name.
After a few of these messages I decided to investigate by going to Netflix and trying to log in with that email address. Using the "forgotten password" option I was able to get a password reset email, change the password and log in. The account appeared to be from Brazil, with some watch history but no other personal details stored and no payment information.
Soon the emails from Netflix started to ask me to update payment information. I didn't, of course, and then they changed to "your account will be suspended" and then "your account has been suspended". The "come back to Netflix" emails are still coming in occasionally.
I don't see how this could possibly be a phishing attempt - I carefully checked that I was on the real Netflix site, used a throwaway password not used on any other sites, and did not enter any of my personal information. I also checked the headers of the emails carefully and they were sent by Netflix. So is this just a mistake on somebody's part, mistyping an email address (although it's surprising that Netflix accepted it with no verification), or something more sinister?
(Note that the above steps don't include any "password reset" step for Jim to access the account; that's because the email from Netflix includes authenticated links that won't ask for it. The attacker wants the victim to click on the email links instead of visiting Netflix manually, this is what enables "Eve" to log back in to the account in step 7. Or, since Netflix emails authenticated links, possibly "Eve" already has one.)
The above situation is partially caused by Netflix (understandably) not recognizing Gmail's "dots don't matter" feature where email sent to [email protected] and to [email protected] end up in the same account. That doesn't really matter in your case (given that if this is how you're trying to be scammed, step 1 was skipped entirely), however.
The most probable situation is that someone used an arbitrary Gmail address (yours) in order to sign up for a free trial, or mistakenly tried to change their email to the wrong address (maybe to have a friend/family also get emails).
This would not be a "hack" or even a phishing attempt, just using any available address. This does mean that your Gmail address could not be used for a free trial at Netflix, so there is that negative impact to you.
As a side note, by logging into someone else's account, you have violated many country's "unauthorised access" laws. I would not make a habit of doing this (or telling others on public sites that you have".
I get dozens to hundreds of e-mails from legitimate companies (car dealers, LA dept of water and power, Macys.com, cell phone activation notes, the payroll company ADP, and Nationwide insurance) from people with my first name and an initial matching my last name.
The worst was in early 2019, when I received medical records (Lab results in a .PDF file) - a clear HIPAA violation, since e-mail isn't an authenticated or encrypted communications channel. The "medical records" person, who should know the law, was the sender of the e-mail.
In my case, none of them are nefarious, but represent clueless users or even worse, clueless sales clerks (such as Lenscrafters in Maryland), the Apple store in Manhattan, and others too numerous to mention.
I got emails from Netflix too saying that my account was cancelled and that there was a sign in attempt somewhere from the US... except that I live in Canada, and have never made a Netflix account in the first place. I went directly to the Netflix website and was able to speak to a representative, and they deleted the account. There was no payment information either. I don't understand why this happened, either someone has a similar email address yet without the dots, or perhaps there is some sinister reason, but I wouldn't know. I've wondered if someone might do this hoping that the other person would fill in their payment information, thus enabling the account.
One of the most popular streaming services around, Netflix has quickly become a staple in many households. But what happens when you find out someone else is using your Netflix account? It can be frustrating to have someone else leeching off your account, whether it's a family member, a friend, or a complete stranger.
Sharing is caring, but you might want to keep an eye on who is using your account when it comes to Netflix. After all, you are the one paying for it. Many Netflix users share their passwords with family and friends, but you're not alone if you think a stranger is using yours.
Netflix has a feature that allows you to check the viewing activity on your account. This way, you'll know the movies and shows each profile has seen. To check your account's viewing activity, follow these steps:
Netflix keeps track of each account's last viewed episode or movie and the date and time when someone watched it. If you see something on the list you don't recognize, there's a good chance someone else is using your account.
Look for any devices that you don't recognize. You can also see the location of the device and the IP address. If the device is streaming from a location you don't recognize, that person is likely using your account without your permission.
First, you can change your Netflix password. Make sure that when changing your password, you tick the box that says, "Require all devices to sign in again with new password." This way, everyone who tries to use your Netflix account will need to use the new password.
You can also sign out of Netflix on all your devices, so you don't have to worry about someone using your account without your permission. However, Netflix allows you to sign out of individual devices, so you can keep sharing your Netflix account with family and friends.
Netflix will remove the device and all downloads from your account. Also, the device will only have downloading permissions if it is re-added. So, you should give your friends a heads-up before removing their devices.
Netflix is a great way to watch movies and TV shows online, but keeping your account safe is important. By checking your account's viewing activity and following these tips, you can make sure that no one's using your account without your permission.
do you offer access to Netflix in your listing? If so do you use your own account? Pay for another account? Make them sign in with THEIR account? I have a Netflix account myself and a ROKU I can hook up -- I just today got my first inquiry about Netflix in the unit. I'm wondering how others do it.
I have an additional device account, one for guests. If a guest doesn't have their own account, they can request me to set up access to ours as a guest viewer. Although after 2 years and many bookings, I have had only 2 requests for me to set them up. Most have their own account these days.
We have a guest account for Netflix and Hulu and an old iPhone with nothing else on it signed in for guests to cast to the tv, via google chrome-cast. Old fashioned but does the job at low cost. (We have no tv service.)
Hi Emilia, I'll just be starting to offer Netflix for my guest this coming month and thinking of the same set-up as yours (guest will have access to my account, but with a different user profile). I'd like to ask if you had any instances where your guests have messed with the other profiles on your Netflix account. If yes, what did you do? Or if not, what have you done to prevent this.
@Jose-Feliciano0, just this week I noticed the Grinch was watched on my specific Netflix profile and there were two young children staying in one of my Airbnbs at that time. It doesn't bother me and doesn't happen often. No one has ever messed with my settings or anything like that. I would say it is more frustrating when they log out of my account and into their own. I have to check every time I am turning over the space for a new guest that Netflix is correctly logged into the right account. I would never give my password to a guest so if they get logged out it would require me going over to the apartment to log them back in (luckily, no one has asked me to do that.)
Hi Jose, So I'm a little behind on this thread & I've been looking into all this stuff with Netflix & if you offer up your own account could the guest potentially mess with the other accounts on it. Anyway, their is a way you can lock your other profiles so they would only have access to the one you want them to have..
I have a "guest profile" for Netflix/Hulu/Amazon but it is still my account. The account requires a password to be modified in any way, including ordering movies that are not included in the subscription so there's no way guests could change or charge anything.
The only issue I had once was someone signed in on their own account, then messaged me claiming that someone was watching stuff on their account after they checked out. We didn't have any guests during the time they claimed this was happening and we had logged them out anyways, so I think they had left their account logged in elsewhere.
@Kelly1126 I have the Netflix account that allows for streaming on 4 devices at once. I just leave the account signed in. Same with Amazon: I'm actually not sure how many people can log in at once, but there has never been a conflict, maybe because Amazon Prime is pretty poor in Canada and there isn't much to watch. Some people choose to use their own account, but I do provide mine also so they can use it if they want.
We have Smart TVs and/or Roku's so that guests can access their own accounts. We remind them to sign out when they leave. We've also been using YouTubeTV instead of cable TV in some properties. So far, so good. The savings are great. Good luck with whatever you decide!
90f70e40cf