Netflix and social distancing


May 8 2020
Simone Caron, IFPC

The second week of social distancing and self isolation marked the restriction enforced by the government causing most non-essential companies to shut down or ask their employees to work from home which means we are spending more time online.

Cyber criminals are watching us - preying on all our fears and questions. Since the start of the Coronavirus campaign, Europol has confiscated 4.4 million units of counterfeit pharmaceutical products, busted 37 organised crime groups resulting in 121 arrests and taken down 2500 malicious links and websites.While Europol is doing a fantastic job of fighting cyber crime, they are far from shutting down these scams all together.

Due to the severe economic impact of the lockdown, governments across the world are implementing contingency plans to assist businesses and employees that may face retrenchment by offering pandemic payment. However, criminals have swooped in, posing as government officials and asking for people’s bank details over the phone. Scammers have also been claiming to be CDC employees, asking people to pay a fee to reserve a COVID19 vaccination for them. The police department has warned that the vaccine will take time to develop and once the vaccine has been developed, it will be announced in an official statement from the government.

When forced to stay in door, it is inevitable to spend more time in front of a screen and scammer are sending out text messages offering victims a free Netflix subscription. A Netflix spokesperson confirmed that the company is not involved in a promotion to offer free passes around the coronavirus pandemic. Scammers are convincing their victims to give up their banking details in order to activate their new account.

We see it as our duty to keep you informed of these scams taking advantage of the vulnerable and overwhelmed. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed.

social distancing, coronavirus, netflix, technology, IFPC