Users are always on the lookout for trendy things as they go viral quickly, but this becomes a weakness that cybercriminals take advantage of and deceive many. One of the most common cases is movies used for phishing, as many fans are looking forward to the release of any of their favorite movies. In recent weeks, this can be seen with films like No Time To Die and The Eternals. This article will show how attackers take advantage of their popularity. Keep reading!

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The latest Bond film is the perfect example of movies used for phishing

Using movies for phishing is not a new method; through them, attackers create websites that offer to watch the movie for a minor fee than on the cinema. The problem resides on the website, because it will ask for bank or card information to make a successful registration on it. In other cases, just as Kaspersky has found out, the movies can be only the bait to deliver malware or malicious software on any device when users download the “movie.” In reality, it is just a file prepared by the attackers to get access to the device. 

“The fact that the premieres of new movies and TV series have moved to the Internet has triggered interest, not only from moviegoers, but also from scammers and cybercriminals,” as Tatyana Shcherbakova, Security Expert at Kaspersky, has stated. The new target is through The Eternals, the new Marvel movie, which is getting tons of attention and many fans are desperate to watch it. 

Don’t trust strange movie websites

The best way to avoid these scams is to use the official channels to enjoy the new content, whether a movie or a TV show. That way, movies used for phishing can become scarce. Of course, the illegal downloading won’t disappear in the blink of an eye but, in the end, using unofficial ways to get that content will result in worse problems. There are several other ways to protect against these scams: 

• Avoid links that offer the possibility of watching movies or TV shows in advance. If you have questions about the authenticity of the content, check with the content provider.
• Check the authenticity of the website before entering your personal or bank data, and use only official and trusted sites to watch or download movies. Check well the URLs and the spelling of the platform name.
• Pay attention to the extensions of the files you are downloading, since a video file will never have an .exe or .msi extension.
• Use a reliable security solution, which identifies malicious attachments and blocks phishing sites.

Remember, movies used for phishing are more common than what users think. This also can be applied to music and games. Being protected online is just a matter of paying attention to certain patterns and signals. Keep in touch with our blog to read the latest news and innovation in the cybersecurity world. 

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