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.

A scam page offering to stream an Oscar-nominated movie for free

The scam operates with a simple bait: attackers promise free access to critically acclaimed movies nominated for this year’s 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 ‘create a free account’, which requires personal information (name, surname, date of birth, phone number), and bank card details to activate a ‘free trial’. Victims may lose money to fraudsters, or sign up for costly, unwanted subscriptions.

A scam page asking to register ‘for free’ to watch the movie

“Our research shows that cybercriminals are capitalizing on the Oscars’ 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 — no award-winning film is worth the cost of a compromised identity,” comments Olga Svistunova, Senior Web Content Analyst at Kaspersky.

To avoid falling victim to fraud, Kaspersky advises users to:

• Pay attention to the official movie release dates in movie theaters, on streaming services, TV, DVD or other sources.
• 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.
• Use a reliable security solution, like Kaspersky Premium, that identifies malicious attachments and blocks phishing sites.
• Avoid links promising early viewings of content, and if you have any doubts about the authenticity of content check it with your entertainment provider.