Don’t Fall into the Upside Down: Scammers Target Stranger Things Fans Ahead of Final Episodes
As excitement builds ahead of the release of the final episodes of Stranger Things, set to begin streaming on December 25 with the grand finale airing on December 31, cybersecurity experts at Kaspersky are warning fans of a surge in online scams designed to exploit the show’s global popularity.
According to Kaspersky, fraudsters are capitalizing on fan anticipation by promoting fake offers that claim to provide free downloads or early streaming access to the final season. These scams typically lure users to malicious websites engineered to steal personal data, financial information, and login credentials, potentially leading to identity theft and unauthorized financial transactions.
The scams often start with convincing advertisements or links promising free or exclusive access to the new episodes. Once clicked, victims may be redirected to fraudulent pages or prompted to “register for a free account,” a process that requests sensitive information such as full name, date of birth, phone number, and even bank card details. In many cases, users receive no content at all or are charged unexpected fees.
Adding another layer of deception, scammers have introduced fake “human verification” steps before granting access to the stream. These prompts closely resemble legitimate CAPTCHA challenges but are in fact phishing mechanisms. Users may be asked to enter login credentials for other services, such as email accounts, or to create a new account and submit bank card information to activate a supposed free trial. Once entered, this data is captured instantly, giving attackers direct access to victims’ accounts or funds.
“Our monitoring shows that scammers intensify their activity around major releases, especially new seasons of highly popular TV series,” said Olga Altukhova, Security Expert at Kaspersky. “These fake streaming sites often look nearly identical to trusted platforms, but their goal is always the same: to exploit fans for profit. We strongly recommend sticking to official sources and treating any unexpected prompts with caution, because personal security is far more valuable than free entertainment.”
To help users avoid falling victim to such fraud, Kaspersky recommends the following precautions:
Pay close attention to official release dates on legitimate streaming platforms and authorized distributors.
Verify the authenticity of websites before entering any personal or financial information, and use only official webpages for streaming or downloads. Always double-check website URLs and company name spellings.
Use a reliable security solution, such as Kaspersky Premium, which can detect malicious attachments and block phishing websites.
Avoid links that promise early or exclusive access to content, and when in doubt, confirm availability directly with your official entertainment provider.