New phishing scam targets Prime Video, other cable streaming users, FCC warns

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has warned consumers about a new phishing scam targeting Amazon Prime Video and cable streaming service users. The scam promises to slash customers' bills in half.

The consumer watchdog says the scammers are bombarding the intended victims with fraudulent texts, robocalls, and voicemails offering 50% discounts on their monthly bills.

So far, the FCC has received complaints from Amazon Prime Video, Comcast Xfinity, and Spectrum TV and internet streaming services subscribers.

According to the consumer advisory, the bad actors send a pre-recorded message – a practice known as vishing – pretending to be from the company, urging the subscriber to call a given phone number to receive the discount.

In other cases, the scammers will send the subscriber a fake text message – a phishing technique known as smishing – using the same premise.

Caught on tape

In one 42-second call recorded by the FCC, you can hear the fraudsters deliberately trying to instill a sense of urgency in the victim by using words such as “immediately” and “set to expire today,” a common tactic used in sophisticated phishing scams.

“Hello. This is Comcast Xfinity. We're reviewing your account, and it appears your 50 percent discount on your monthly bill is set to expire today. To confirm and secure your savings, call the number displayed on your caller ID immediately. This offer cannot be extended. Thank you.”

- Vishing voicemail transcript

The FCC also noted that those who do call the number back are often encouraged to act quickly to ensure they keep the “discount.”

In many cases, the bad actors would tell the victim the only way to get the discount would be “to prepay for multiple months of service using a gift card,” the FCC said.

“Pressure to act quickly and only accepting gift cards as payment are sure signs of a scam,” the FCC tells consumers.

Additionally, Xfinity reminds subscribers it will never request a specific payment method such as merchant gift cards, wire transfer, PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle, and, as with all streaming services, customers should only make payments through their official website or app.

How to protect yourself

In any phishing attack, the scammer's goal is to get you to reveal sensitive personal information, such as account numbers, login information, or credit card numbers, which can be used for identity theft, financial theft, and even for future attacks.

The FCC says if you’ve received a call, voicemail, or text message and are unsure if it’s legitimate, you should always reach out directly to your service provider with any questions.

Scam alert 🚩

Calls and texts from scammers are claiming 50% off of Comcast, Spectrum, or Prime bills, urging consumers to prepay for months of service with a gift card.

Reach out to your service provider directly with questions about your cable or streaming bill or discounts.

undefined FCC (@FCC) September 10, 2025

To protect yourself from these types of smishing attacks, Spectrum says:

• Never call back the phone number that sent the smishing text, or the number provided in the message.
• Never reply to a suspicious text message, as this makes the fraudster aware that your number is in service and can be continuously harassed by additional texts.
• Don’t click on any links embedded in the text message, especially if you don’t recognize the URL.

Additionally, to avoid becoming a victm of vishing attacks, Spectrum says:

• If you suspect a phone call is a vishing attack, simply hang up.
• Never trust Caller ID. Hackers will often spoof the caller number so it looks like it’s coming from a legitimate organization.
• If a phone call is coming from someone you do not know personally, let the call go directly to voicemail.

The FCC says if you’ve been a victim of a phishing, smishing, or vishing attack, you should report it to law enforcement as soon as possible.

Furthermore, for those scams involving gift cards, the FCC says you should contact the gift card company, as they may be able to help you recover your money.

Victims can also file a complaint on the FCC website here.

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