hackers are taking advantage of the craze to scam you, here’s how to avoid the pitfalls

Like many French people, you may go to the cinema this evening to discover, according to your preferences, Barbie or Oppenheimer. The two films have been at the heart of a real cultural phenomenon for several weeks, which gives pirates many ideas. Indeed, it is not the scams that are after your wallet that are missing.

Rarely have two films aroused so much expectation and enthusiasm on the part of spectators. Today are released in theaters Barbie and Oppenheimer, two films that everything opposes and yet have been at the heart of a real cultural phenomenon on social networks for several weeks. Like many, you may already have your seats reserved for tonight. Be careful, however, not to fall into the trap of a well-felt scam.

Indeed, the pirates have smelled the vein well in the face of so much impatience. The cybersecurity firm Kaspersky has indeed spotted several online scams riding the wave of the release of the two films. One of them claims, for example, to sell many Barbie merchandise, including a doll bearing the image of Margot Robbie. With a lot of false promotions and a sense of urgency, Internet users are encouraged to spend their money on the site.

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Beware of scams that are riding the wave of Barbie and Oppenheimer

In addition to giving their money and payment information directly to the hackers, the victims also deliver a certain amount of personal data, via a form that must be completed to precede the “purchase”. It is therefore better not to fall for the trap, like another offer that is far too attractive to be true.

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As Kasperky explains, some sites do indeed claim to allow watching Oppenheimer for free. Well almost. Indeed, pirates generally ask for a symbolic euro or other seemingly insignificant sum. However, you must of course again provide your bank details to make the payment, leaving the possibility for malicious individuals to make unauthorized withdrawals.

“Pre-releases and popular releases generate a wave of impatience, but it is essential that everyone remains vigilant and respects the basic rules of online safety. Expectations and excitement should not overshadow the risks”, recalls Olga Svistunova, security expert at Kaspersky. To protect yourself against risks, adopt the right reflexes:

• Beware of offers that seem too good to be true
• Never give out your personal data unless absolutely necessary
• Only use your credit card on trusted sites whose URL begins with “https://”