How to spot these common movie scams: Internet Scambusters #1,096
Scammers are cashing in on the popularity of blockbuster movies like Barbie and Star Wars.
They use fake and free ticket offers and knock-off merchandise to cash in, knowing fans are often so excited they overlook the risks.
We tell you all about movie scams and how you can protect yourself in this week's issue.
Let's get started…
Why Starstruck Movie Fans Are In Line for Scams
Blockbusters make a fortune for big name movie producers. But now they've started making money for scammers.
Fraudsters have been using the latest box office successes, notably the recent Barbie and Avatar movies, to launch a few nasty surprises for starstruck fans. And with a whole raft of new Christmas-release movies, they're already looking for new opportunities. Fake Wonka candy bars have already been spotted, for example.
The crooks have learned that when people get carried away with their enthusiasm for films, they might not take the time to think carefully about some of the deals offered.
Last month, Jon Clay, vice president of Threat Intelligence at Trend Micro, told the watchdog site Consumer Affairs: "Big movies like Barbie getting a lot of attention in the press and all the buzz about the double feature of Barbie and Oppenheimer are a good reminder that scammers will utilize anything that gets the attention of the public."
According to a Trend Micro threat alert, jointly issued with Consumer Affairs, the security firm identified almost 1,500 Barbie-related scams in the first couple of weeks after the movie was released.
In fact, the scammers were active even before the movie launched. Over the years, US Customs has seized thousands of duds and Clay noted that Trend saw the name 'Barbie' appear in multiple scams ahead of the film's release.
Movie scams often target young audiences, and the Barbie scam isn't the first one of its type. Think Disney for example.
When Disney's Lion King premiered in 2019, the Better Business Bureau issued a warning about fake websites offering early viewings and tricking users into installing malware. Analysts predict similar scams and traps targeting avid fans when sequels to popular franchises like Avatar are released.
Common Movie-Related Scams
The current spate of movie scams includes phishing attempts, fake or free tickets, social media posts, phony websites, downloads containing malware, and counterfeit merchandise. Let's take a closer look.
Phishing: Scammers send emails seeming to come from the moviemaker. Typically, they say the victim has won a contest to attend a movie premiere. But they want to know more about you.
Free tickets: Occasionally, a movie company might offer tickets for free, but they won't ask for things like banking information or processing fees. Scammers do.
Movie merchandise scams: Cheap knockoffs are sold online or in pop-up shops. The fraudsters use posters and imagery from the genuine movie to promote their products. According to analytics firm LatentView (quoted by Forbes magazine), counterfeit toys generated over $32 billion in scam revenue in the US in a single year (2019).
Fake websites: Mostly, these sites are used either for phishing or to sell knock-off merchandise. They're often found through email and ads, linked to the tricks we've outlined above.
Non-delivery: Some of the most popular movie merchandise and memorabilia items are hard to find. Crooks know which are the ones and advertise them when they've no intention of ever delivering them.
Stay Safe From Movie Scams
- If you didn't enter a competition, you almost certainly didn't win it. Don't provide personal information or pay for "processing." You didn't win, OK?
- Likewise, be ultra-cautious about free ticket offers. Check that whoever contacts you is who they say they are.
- If you're buying official merchandise, beware of too-good-to-be-true prices and/or inferior quality. Buy from a reputable retailer or directly from producers. Don't buy items if it's more than a month before a movie release. They'll be fakes.
- Watch out for sites that have very similar names to legitimate ones. And look for poor spelling, grammatical errors, and little or no detail about the vendor.
- Pay with a credit card when you buy. That way you'll be protected against most scam purchases. Never pay with untraceable methods like wiring cash, paying with crypto-currency, or using gift cards.
- If you're buying tickets for a hot new movie, get them only from official sources. Resist the temptation of buying from auction and classified sites unless you've thoroughly checked out the seller.
By now, the popularity of the Barbie movie has started to wane, but you can be sure the scammers are scouring the listings to find their next money-spinning hit, whether at Christmas or in the new year.
This Week's Alerts
Don't pay: Health experts are worrying about a new surge of Covid infections in the coming weeks. Scammers, on the other hand, see it as an opportunity to fleece consumers by offering home test kits for sale. Don't buy. They've been available for free since November 20.
Don't call: We warned in our Christmas round-up a couple of weeks back about porch pirates and package delivery scams (How To Beat Holiday and Christmas Scammers). Now, the crooks have come up with a new trick - pretending to be a delivery driver and messaging the intended victim saying they can't find their address. They ask the target to phone them and then harvest their personal information.
Try this quiz: We've been covering artificial intelligence (AI) scams in depth recently. But do you think you could spot an AI-generated report? Take this quiz and find out (you have to scroll down a ways but there's a lot of other useful AI information on the page).
That's it for today -- we hope you enjoy your week!