“Stranger Things”: scammers take advantage of the premiere of the series finale to scam their fans

The security company Kaspersky has warned that a group of computer criminals are offering fake downloads of new episodes or simulating services with free access to the premiere to lure users to malicious sites, where they can steal personal information, financial data and login credentials, which can lead to identity theft and unauthorized charges.

These scams usually start with tempting offers of free or early access to the final chapters. Victims who click on the links may be immediately redirected to a malicious page or instructed to “register for a free account,” which requires sensitive data such as full name, date of birth, phone number, and bank card details. In the end, users may be left without content or with a charge they never intended to pay.

To complete the scam, scammers have introduced a special tactic that asks users to “verify that they are human” before granting them access to the stream. This step mimics legitimate CAPTCHAs, but is actually a phishing trap. The fake verification request may ask the victim to enter their username and password from other accounts (for example, their email) or create a new account and register their bank card details to activate a free trial. The pretext is “avoid bots”. Once credentials are entered, criminals capture them directly, gaining unauthorized access to the victim’s real accounts or funds.

“Our monitoring shows that scammers intensify their tactics around big releases, such as new seasons of popular series, mixing known hooks with other tricks. These streaming sites often look identical to trusted platforms, but the goal is the same: take advantage of fans to profit. That’s why we always recommend going to official sources and be wary of any unexpected requests; your security is worth more than a free premiere,” says María Isabel Manjarrez, Security Researcher on the Global Research and Analysis Team at Kaspersky.

To avoid being a victim of fraud, Kaspersky advises users:

• Confirm the official release date: If a site promises to watch the episodes before the official premiere on Netflix, be wary: these types of offers are usually a sign of a scam.
• Do not give out your personal or banking information: Avoid entering passwords, emails or card information on pages that offer free content or special access.
• Check the website carefully before clicking: Make sure the site address is correct and there are no errors in the name of the service, as scammers often imitate official pages.
• Protect your devices with a reliable security solution: Kaspersky Premium helps detect malicious files and block fake pages designed to steal information.