Kaspersky experts have detected spam emails that also abuse the popularity of “Stranger Things,” a popular Netflix series with Season 4 streamed in early July. Taking advantage of the interest in this popular series, some cybercriminals have offered users the ability “to watch the new episodes for only $1 (P56).”
To access this offer they were asked to register a new account and enter their address and bank details. After entering their information, fraudsters then drained victims’ wallets, without the victims gaining access to the new season of their favorite series.
Such emails are used to sell products of dubious quality and are spread through promotional emails without the consent of the recipient. For example, in one of the spam emails users were given the opportunity to buy limited-edition graphic T-shirts related to the new season of the American series. The site supported all languages and all currencies for payment. It may not necessarily be a phishing page, but the fact that the ads for these products were promoted through spam and the domain itself was only recently created raises suspicions.
Kaspersky warns TikTok prank based on real fraud scheme
Kaspersky urges PH gov’t to take steps in boosting cyber resiliency
“And as we know, where there is audience demand, scammers will always try to cash in,” said Olga Svistunova, security expert at Kaspersky. “We can therefore expect that cybercriminals will soon start to actively exploit the popularity of this last season. The danger for users remains as urgent as ever. Fans need to be careful as trying to save money on a streaming service subscription can lead to them losing much more than they could ever save.”
To avoid falling victim to scams, Kaspersky recommends users to:
- Avoid links promising early viewings of films or TV series. If you have any doubts about the authenticity of the content, check with your entertainment provider
- Check the authenticity of the website before entering personal data, and only use official, trusted web pages to watch or download movies. Double-check URL formats and company name spellings
- Pay attention to the extensions of the files you are downloading. A video file will never have a .exe or .msi extension
- Use a reliable security solution, such as Kaspersky Security Cloud, that identifies malicious attachments and blocks phishing sites