Claims of Netflix Subscription Renewals with High Monthly Fees by Scammers Posing as Now TV and HOY TV
2025-09-30
A new phishing SMS scam tactic has emerged – Scammers send fraudulent SMSs, posing as Now TV and HOY TV. The ADCC has recently received over 23 enquiries, including cases involving a master’s student and an elderly person in their 80s, with losses ranging from HK$17,000 to HK$90,000. HOY TV has issued a statement clarifying that they did not send those SMSs and urging the public not to respond. [phishing SMSs / bogus customer service / cancel subscription renewal]
Defrauding Tricks
- Scammers send phishing SMSs to members of the public, claiming that charges have been automatically deducted for the renewal of the Netflix subscription service, along with a phone number for “cancelling the subscription”.
- If you call back, a bogus customer service officer will trick you into entering your financial information on a fraudulent website in an attempt to steal your online banking usernames and passwords.
Flaws in Scams
1. Inflated charges
To pressure victims into responding quickly, scammers deliberately claim in the SMSs that an amount higher than the normal subscription, such as HK$1,500, has already been deducted;
2. Some SMSs contain spelling errors.
Case Example
A victim received an unknown SMS claiming that they had registered for a Netflix family plan but had not yet paid. The victim called the number provided in the SMS. A scammer posing as customer service answered the phone, claiming that the victim had not settled the payment. The victim said that they had never signed up for any plans and requested cancellation. The scammer then demanded guarantee money to be transferred to a designated Faster Payment System account. The victim transferred approximately HK$90,000 in three batches. When the scammer later requested an additional transfer of HK$100,000, the victim suspected a scam and immediately reported it to the police.
Scammers may pose as the following organisations when sending phishing SMSs:
YouTube Premium
Binance
IBKR
uSMART
Futubull
China Mobile
SF Express
Cainiao
Keeta
Foodpanda
Our Advice
Do not rashly call phone numbers in SMSs;
Do not log on to any websites or download any attachments by hastily clicking on hyperlinks embedded in emails, SMSs or web pages;
You may enter suspicious information on “Scameter” of CyberDefender or “Scameter+”, the mobile application of “Scameter”, for security check in addition to seeking verification from relevant organisations;
If in doubt, please call the “Anti-Scam Helpline 18222” for assistance.
