STREAMING website users have become the latest target of cybercriminals.

The Scottish Business Resilience Centre is warning people who have accounts on Netflix and Amazon Prime after new and sophisticated email scams emerged online.

Some users of the sites have received phishing emails, prompting them to keep their details up to date. The emails contain a link to a bogus login page, on which potential victims are asked to fill in personal details.

The details can then be used by criminals to either extract further information or target finances directly.

Gerry Grant, an ethical hacker at the centre, explained: “Netflix has made it easier for people everywhere to quickly browse and access a huge range of TV and cinema.

“However, we are urging caution after a recent outbreak of fraudulent emails have targeted users of the site.

“Attackers are now taking more care in creating genuine looking emails. This can make it a lot harder to spot a fake email, but users should never click on the link in any email, but log on to the site directly from their browser.”

A similar scam has also surfaced in recent weeks, attempting to lure Amazon Prime users into passing on private information.

White hat hacker Gerry added: “There are three simple steps people can take if they are suspicious of unsolicited messages like these.

“Do not click the link, check the link’s URL to see if it is to trustworthy site and never put your personal and bank account details into any form that is not completely trustworthy.

“It is important to avoid clicking on these kind of sites in the first place, so users should be vigilant of the sites they are visiting.”

Criminals often disguise fraudulent addresses with shortened links to hide the URL, but there are a number of websites that can be utilised to double-check the destination – visit wheredoesthislinkgo.com for instance.

The latest scam is just one of many con artists have conjured up in recent years.

Just last week, Stirling MP Steven Paterson has sent a warning to his constituents after uncovering another HMRC phone scam.

Some residents in the area received threats of lawsuits over unpaid debts from someone claiming to be working for revenue and customs. They asked potential victims for personal and bank account details and in some cases, people were told to settle the matter by buying gift vouchers and passing the serial numbers on.

In July last year, a vigilant Alloa lady also received unwelcome calls from two numbers with an automated voice claiming a lawsuit is being raised against her.

On the same week, bogus callers attempted to con a disabled 70-year-old Sauchie lady out of her hard earned cash, but she was saved by a younger helper who was in the right place at the right time.

The callers claimed she had paid too much council tax and attempted to extract personal information.