It’s crucial to be extra cautious during this event and double-check the authenticity of any website offering free streaming of movies. “The Oscars 2023 is lucrative for cybercriminals who intensify their malicious activity every year. This information may be used for identity theft or sold on the Darkweb for malicious purposes.Īn example of a giveaway hoax exploiting the Avatar movie Additionally, the scammers collect personal information such as the user’s name, email address, and phone number with the promise of a financial reward or gift certificate. The primary objective of the deception is to extract money from the user by requesting a commission fee for sending the prize. Once a user clicks the ‘play’ button, they are greeted with a message congratulating them on winning a prize of their choice, which may include a financial reward, H&M or IKEA vouchers, or a PS5 console.

The scheme works by directing users to a fraudulent website where they are prompted to confirm their humanity by completing surveys that offer a variety of prizes. The highly anticipated Avatar sequel has become a target for scammers who have devised several deceitful tactics to trick users into downloading or watching the movie, including giveaway rackets. Once the payment is made, users become vulnerable to unauthorized transactions that are either charged at equal intervals, resembling an uncancelable subscription, or in small daily increments until the account is drained.Īn example of fake website offering to stream Everything Everywhere All at Once To access the movies, users are ‘required’ to pay a small subscription fee. Kaspersky experts identified various websites claiming to offer free streaming of these movies but steal users’ money instead. Scammers are creating fake websites offering free streaming of Oscar-nominated movies, prompting users to give away their personal and banking information and to also download malware. As people around the globe look forward to the upcoming Oscars 2023 on March 12, Kaspersky experts are warning of a surge in scams using the hype and popularity of the event to deceive people.