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As excitement builds for the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony, Kaspersky experts warn that cybercriminals are seizing the opportunity to exploit eager movie fans with fraudulent streaming scams. Disguised as free streaming offers for Oscar-nominated movies, these scams are designed to lure users into clicking links that redirect them to scam pages capable of stealing personal and financial data, potentially leading to significant financial losses.<\/p>\n
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A scam page offering to stream an Oscar-nominated movie for free<\/p>\n
The scam operates with a simple bait: attackers promise free access to critically acclaimed movies nominated for this year\u2019s Academy Awards. The titles include Wicked, The Brutalist, Conclave, Emilia Perez and others. Once users click the link to start watching, they are either redirected to a scam page right away, or are prompted to \u2018create a free account\u2019, which requires personal information (name, surname, date of birth, phone number), and bank card details to activate a \u2018free trial\u2019. Victims may lose money to fraudsters, or sign up for costly, unwanted subscriptions.<\/p>\n
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A scam page asking to register \u2018for free\u2019 to watch the movie<\/p>\n
\u201cOur research shows that cybercriminals are capitalizing on the Oscars\u2019 cultural moment to target unsuspecting fans who want to catch up on nominated movies. These scams are sophisticated, often mimicking legitimate streaming platforms, but the endgame is clear: steal your data or drain your bank account. We urge users to verify the source of any streaming offer and avoid clicking unsolicited links \u2014 no award-winning film is worth the cost of a compromised identity,\u201d comments Olga Svistunova, Senior Web Content Analyst at Kaspersky.<\/p>\n
To avoid falling victim to fraud, Kaspersky advises users to:<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Pay attention to the official movie release dates in movie theaters, on streaming services, TV, DVD or other sources.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Check the authenticity of websites before entering personal data and only use official webpages to watch or download movies. Double-check URL formats and company name spellings. \u00b7 Use a reliable security solution, like Kaspersky Premium, that identifies malicious attachments and blocks phishing sites.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Avoid links promising early viewings of content, and if you have any doubts about the authenticity of content check it with your entertainment provider.<\/p>\n
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About Kaspersky<\/p>\n
Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. With over a billion devices protected to date from emerging cyberthreats and targeted attacks, Kaspersky\u2019s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company\u2019s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection, specialized security products and services, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. We help over 200,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As excitement builds for the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony, Kaspersky experts warn that cybercriminals are seizing the opportunity to exploit eager movie fans with fraudulent streaming scams. Disguised as free streaming offers for Oscar-nominated movies, these scams are designed to lure users into clicking links that redirect them to scam pages capable of stealing personal …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":110166,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[439],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-110168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english-news"],"yoast_head":"\n