Stuart was right about Disney+ but not how he thought. The streaming service isn’t a ripoff, but it inspires ripoff artists!
Sadly, what you read above is not clickbait. Disney+ has more than 28 million subscribers. This popularity has inspired hackers to get passwords and credit card info from Disney+ subscribers. These scammers are using phone calls and spearphishing emails to do it, too. We’re sharing this to help protect streamers like you from being taken by people who use these tactics.
Here’s How the Scam Works
Be VERY suspicious if you get a phone call or email that says you’ve been locked out of your Disney+ account. You should also be wary of messages that sat there’s been “suspicious activity” on your account. If you get one of these, the sender will usually ask you to:
- Click a link to restore your access.
- Call a phone number to restore your access.
Let me say what we’re all thinking: These emails and phone calls aren’t from Disney! Whether you click the link or call the number, someone on the other end will ask for your password and/or credit card information. If you give it to them, it’s all over.
If You Get These Messages…
…Don’t click on the link or call that phone number. Seriously, just don’t. If something is really amiss with your Disney+ account, there’s one of two simple things you can do:
Go to the official Disney+ website and log into your account.
Call the official Disney+ phone number. You know, the one that’s on Disney’s website.
If you’re able to log into your Disney+ account, the phone call or email you got was a scam. Same thing if you contact Disney’s support number and a rep tells you everything is on the up and up. There’s no harm in checking as long as you do it the right way!
In the interests of keeping you safe from hackers and scammers, here are a few more online security tips:
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Don’t use the same password for all your accounts. If someone hacks one, they’ll use that password to hack your other accounts.
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Regularly change your password. This makes it harder for hackers to get into your system.
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Make sure your passwords use a combination of capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and punctuation. The more complex the better.
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Write down your passwords in a notebook that you keep at home. This helps you keep track of them in a place that no one can hack.
Disney+ Isn’t to Blame
Seriously. As horrible as these scams are, I don’t think it reflects poorly on Disney. There are thieves out there who’ll use anything they can to make a quick buck. This time around, they happened to choose Disney+ because the streaming service is popular. If it wasn’t, these hackers would’ve used a different ploy to get people’s money. It’s as simple as that.
