Be Careful! Black Widow Movie Scams Circulating On The Internet Ahead Of Release

The latest film Black Widow, raises a variety of scams on the internet. (photo: Photo Black Widow illustration)

JAKARTA - After going through several release date changes due to the pandemic, the world will finally see the long-awaited Black Widow film.

With a number of restrictions imposed due to the COVID19 pandemic, the organizers decided to take an important step, namely the premiere of the film which will take place simultaneously in theaters and on streaming services.

However, with the online premiere of the film, it at once sparked attention not only for film fans but also among scammers and scammers.

"The release of big films has always been a source of entertainment but also a special attraction for cybercriminals to spread threats, phishing pages and spam emails," Kaspersky security expert Anton V. Ivanov said in a statement received by VOI, Wednesday, July 7.

Ivanov said he and other Kaspersky experts had analyzed a malicious file disguised as the latest Black Widow film, as well as a phishing website related to the film designed to steal user credentials.

"Currently, we have observed intensive fraudulent activity related to the popular film Black Widow. In the excitement of welcoming the long-awaited film, users are not paying attention to the source they are using, and this is what scammers are taking advantage of," Ivanov said.

As a result, Kaspersky experts highlighted a spike in infection attempts amid the announced launch dates of May 1, 2020, as well as May 7 and July 9, 2021. Ahead of the premiere of the “super agent” film, Kaspersky experts saw a sizable number of attack attempts. to infect users.

That is about 12 percent before the initial release date in 2020, 13 percent in April 2021, and 9 percent in June 2021.

Kaspersky experts also discovered a number of phishing websites designed to steal user credentials. In hopes of getting their hands on the long-awaited Black Widow film, users visit a website that displays the first few minutes of the film before being asked to register to continue watching.

During registration, to confirm their place of residence, the victims were asked to enter their bank card details. After a while, the money will be debited from their card, and of course, the movie won't continue playing. This type of phishing is widespread and is considered one of the most popular among scammers.

"This attack was preventable, and users should be wary of the sites they visit," Ivanov said.

To avoid becoming a victim of malicious programs and scams, Kaspersky advises users as follows.

1. Check the authenticity of the website before entering personal data and only use official and trusted websites to watch or download movies. Double-check the URL format and spelling of the company name.

2. Pay attention to the file extension you download. Video files will never have an .exe or .msi ekstensi extension

Use a reliable security solution, such as Kaspersky Security Cloud, which identifies malicious attachments and blocks phishing sites.

3. Avoid links that promise a preview of the content. If you have any doubts about the authenticity of content, contact your entertainment provider's vendor.