Disney+ scam emails: fake ‘technical incident’ warning

Disney+ scam emails claiming to be from the streaming service are being designed to lure potential victims to websites that have nothing to do with Disney.

Phishing emails will try a variety of different tactics to get people to click through to websites that are designed to capture your personal data - especially your bank/card details.

Subscribers to Disney+ are now being targeted - fraudsters are hoping that informing users that their payment has been ‘rejected’ will be enough to panic them into taking immediate action.

Here, we reveal what to look out for.

Disney+ scams

Disney+ scam emails

Despite the email’s convincing appearance, this email was sent from an email account that has nothing to do with Disney. It tells the recipient that Disney+ has, supposedly, been unable to renew their subscription due to a ‘technical incident’.

But this is a tactic designed to panic the victim into updating their ‘billing information’, under threat of the streaming service being withdrawn.

Following the email’s link will take you to a site that will encourage you to enter your sensitive personal information - most likely your bank details.

If you fill out and submit your details you’ll have given crucial information to fraudsters, which is exactly what they’re hoping for.

How can I spot a fake Disney+ email?

Creating a sense of panic is a common phishing email tactic. If you receive an email out of the blue that instructs you to carry out an action immediately, take a moment to look over the email in its entirety. 

Check the email address it’s been sent from, and hover over the URL it’s attempting to link you through to - if anything looks like it doesn’t add up, for example, it’s displaying a site that doesn’t look like the official Disney+ URL, https://www.disneyplus.com/, treat the email with suspicion.

You can also log into your Disney+ account separately, away from the suspicious email, and check that everything is in order. If you’re still unsure, contact Disney+ directly via its official channels and ask for clarification.

Disney states that it will never contact you via social media, email, text or phone asking for payment or your private accounts information such as a password or payment details.

I think I’ve been scammed by a fake Disney+ email: what should I do?

If you think you may have entered sensitive information, such as your bank/card details, into a third-party site you were taken to by a suspicious Disney+ email, you must let your bank know what’s happened via its official channels ASAP.

You can report a scam and get your money back. Your bank should work with you to cancel your card, block any pending payments (if required) and refund the money you’ve lost. 

You should also then keep an eye out for any follow-up scams that could occur if you’ve given contact details, such as your email address, postal address or phone number, to fraudsters. Treat any contact you receive out of the blue with caution.

How can I report Disney+ scam emails?

Fake emails and phishing websites can be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre at report@phishing.gov.uk (opens in new tab) - action can then be taken to remove these websites.

If you’re going to warn friends and family about a scam, send them a screenshot instead of forwarding suspicious emails directly.

A spokesperson for Disney+ said: “We encourage people to remain vigilant online, and to refer to our Disney+ Help Center for more information on phishing (opens in new tab) and ways to keep your account secure (opens in new tab)”