“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” are flooded on fake websites that supposedly distribute free copies of the latest film by typing in their credit data.
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” are flooded on fake websites that supposedly distribute free copies of the latest film by typing in their credit data.
Have you ever tried to watch a movie on online streaming sites before the release of the movie which pops up on your SEO? If yes, never do it because it can be loaded with malicious files.
The cybercriminals do a good job of mimicking by tricking people into installing malware by promising them content or full movie before its release. Therefore, if you come across such fake streaming sites promising a free pirated copy of the new movie, don’t access the file. They often copy the images, layout, description and supporting content of the official movies so thoroughly that it’s hard to tell it’s fake. “This kind of practice is called ‘black SEO,’ which enables criminals to promote phishing websites high up in search engine results,” states Kaspersky.
Kaspersky Lab disclosed more than 30 fake websites and social media pages that pretend to be official movie accounts. The scam works by offering users access to watch Star Wars: The Raise of Skywalker for free but only if they first register with the fraudulent site by typing in their credit card information claiming that the numbers are necessary to start the stream.
Around 83 users are affected by 65 malicious files masked as copies of the upcoming movie. The cybercriminals distribute links to the content by setting up Twitter and other social media accounts in order to enhance the promotion of fraudulent websites.
Kaspersky detected 285,103 attempts to infect 37,772 users seeking to watch Star Wars movies this year, estimating a 10% rise compared to last year.
Kaspersky recommends movies and T.V fans to follow the following steps to be on the safer side:
- Pay attention to the official movie release dates in theaters, on streaming services, TV, DVD or other sources.
- Don’t click on suspicious links, such as those promising an early view of a new film.
- Look at the download file extension. Even if you are going to download a video from a source you consider trusted and legitimate, the file should have a .avi, .mkv or .mp4 extension, among other video formats, definitely not .exe
- Check the website’s authenticity. Do not visit websites allowing you to watch a movie until you are sure that they are legitimate and start with ‘https'. Confirm that the website is genuine by double-checking the format of the URL or the spelling of the company name, reading reviews about it and checking the domain’s registration data before starting downloads.
- Use a reliable anti-malware solution.
“As attackers manage to push malicious websites and content up in the search results, fans need to remain cautious at all times. We advise users not to fall for such scams and instead enjoy the end of the saga on the big screen,” states Tatiana Sidorina, Kaspersky Security researcher.
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