Do you use a smart TV to watch your favorite streaming services?
Be warned: There are new scams that target innocent consumers through their television sets.
Smart TVs and connected streaming devices (e.g., Roku, Fire TV Stick, etc.) have become prime targets for scammers due to their internet connectivity and the trust users place in familiar services like YouTube TV, Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+.
These scams often exploit the activation process for streaming services and the pop-up alert capabilities of these smart TVs to lure victims with things like fake “free” access offers or fake overdue bill notifications.
Ultimately, these tricks are leading unsuspecting users to potential financial losses and data theft.
A friend of a Team Clark member was recently a victim of one of the latest streaming TV scams, and we wanted to make sure that you’re aware and prepared if a similar scheme comes your way.
In this article, I’ll explain what’s happening and the actions you can take to ensure you’re not their next victim.
2 Surprising Ways Scammers Use Your Smart TV Against You
Many of us have cut the cord on traditional TV services and now live exclusively in a streaming TV world. And it’s true: The convenience of watching whatever you want whenever you want via an internet-connected smart TV is quite the luxury.
But, like many things brought to us by emerging technologies, these smart TVs do offer a window into your home that old-school television sets did not.
The internet connectivity to your smart TV is similar to that of a computer or cell phone in that you can send and receive data as a means of communicating with the outside world. (That’s how your favorite streaming show appears on your device to enjoy.)
This window into your home’s device is being exploited by criminals in emerging scams.
And the tricky part is that these are not all the same. There are a handful of ways they may try to lure you into sharing personal financial information or purchasing gift cards to use as “payment” on unpaid bills.
1. Pop-Up Tech Support Scams
This is one of the most common scams on smart TVs. It often hits users during app login or mid-streaming sessions.
It goes something like this:
- You try to open an app like YouTube TV or Netflix on your smart TV.
- A fake pop-up appears, claiming something like “error,” “subscription issue,” or “device malfunction.”
- It may give you a conclusion like: “Your account is suspended. Call now to reactivate.”
- It provides a phone number or link to “fix” this fake issue.
- If you call, the scammer (posing as support from YouTube, Roku, or the streaming service) demands payment for an “activation fee” (via gift cards, wire transfer or crypto) or requests remote access to your TV.
With funds provided via gift card, wire transfer or crypto, scammers can spend your money with virtually no chance to recover those funds.
And with remote access, they can install malware, steal login credentials, or access linked payment info. This could create even more financial complications for you down the road.
If you see these messages, DO NOT COMMUNICATE WITH THEM. Contact your streaming provider directly to ensure that you’re clear of any final obligations.
Remember: Streaming services typically do not charge activation fees. And most have you prepay for access, meaning you should never be in debt to them for services rendered.
2. Fake Activation Websites
These prey on the standard setup process for linking your TV to services.
These are less intrusive than the popups and usually take advantage of honest mistakes by users, like misspelling a URL or using a search engine instead of direct links from your streaming service.
It goes something like this:
- When you’re setting up a new streaming service on your smart TV, you are usually required to link that smart TV to your account during activation. This usually involves entering a code at a website provided by the service (e.g., tv.youtube.com/activate for YouTube TV)
- As you’re trying to find these links via your browser, scammers use a practice known as “typosquatting” to lure you in. This is done by creating sites like “youtubbe.com/activate” that differ by one letter.
- Victims land on fake sites via minor URL typos or by searching for the activation link and clicking on a search engine ad (Google often ranks them high) set up by a scammer rather than the legitimate link.
- The spoof site prompts for payment of a bogus “activation fee” (streaming services don’t charge this) or downloads malware.
- Scammers may call afterward, posing as YouTube support, and extract more money via Zelle or gift cards.
Unfortunately, search terms like “Roku activation” can produce search engine results where fake sites appear first. That makes it really easy for someone to accidentally fall into this web.
Many streaming services have the option to use a link they provide to set up your smart TV via cell phone or computer instead of trying to complete the cumbersome process via browser on your smart TV. Following their official instructions for doing this and checking your URLs along the way will help you avoid this one.
5 Tips to “Scam-Proof” Your Streaming TV Experience
Now that we know the schemes that scammers are using to target smart TV users, we need to work together to protect each other.
Here are a few easy-to-implement tips you can use to protect yourself:
Tip #1: Ignore Pop-Up Messages on Your Smart TV
Legitimate streaming services do not typically use “urgent” TV alerts. So, if you see one, they’re almost always fake.
You can simply close the window, restart your TV and proceed with your viewing experience.
If you’re unsure about a message you received, contact your streaming service’s support chat or phone number via the official app or website only.
Tip #2: Verify URLs and Phone Numbers
Scammers use near-identical fakes on URL addresses and phone numbers to trick you into believing you’ve landed on the right website or customer service number.
People who fall victim to this trick are usually just moving a little too fast during a signup, device verification or checkout process.
To avoid erroneously clicking on a bad link, you should type in web addresses into your smart TV search bar manually and double-check them before you proceed. If needed, you should be ready to pull up the app or official email that you received to double-check that you have the right landing spot.
If you’re unsure, you should contact your streaming service provider directly to confirm you’re in the right spot before proceeding. Don’t give the scammer a chance to communicate with you.
Tip #3: Do Not Give ANYONE Remote Access to Your Smart TV
Real customer support for streaming services will never ask for remote access to your device during activation. Decline any requests for this and immediately terminate the conversation. This is a giveaway that a scammer is attempting to gain access to your personal information.
Tip #4: Never Pay an Activation Fee for a Streaming Service
All of the legitimate streaming services have free activation processes. They charge you a monthly or annual fee to view their content, but you are not subject to any sort of “activation” fee.
This type of verbiage is almost a guarantee that you’re speaking to a scammer. Terminate that conversation immediately and reach out to the service via their official lines of communication for help.
Tip #5: Avoid Doing Your Streaming Activations on Smart TV
Using the web browser on your smart TV via remote control is probably pretty cumbersome. It’s also where mistakes can be made when it comes to pop-ups and misspelled URLs.
Activate your accounts and do all of your communication with your streaming services via phone or computer browser.
Have you or someone you know fallen victim to one of these scams? You can help everyone learn from that experience in the Clark.com community.
