Free movie, toys? Scammers ride Brad Pitt ' F1' hype to empty bank accounts

“F1: The Movie” has just premiered worldwide, and the excitement surrounding the highly-anticipated Apple Original Films release starring Brad Pitt has fueled a wave of fraudulent activity, as per Kaspersky, a global Cybersecurity and digital privacy company. Scammers are attempting to lure victims with offers to stream the movie for free, as well as with fake giveaways of race car toys tied to the special McMenu promotion by McDonald’s and Apple.

 

One scam lures users with a so-called “free subscription” to watch the new movie online. The fake website, featuring an attractive dark design, displays a large video player window with a photo of Brad Pitt taken from official promotional materials. To allegedly watch the film for free, users are prompted to activate a free account. During registration, scammers request that users link a bank card — from which they later withdraw all available funds. The promised access to the film is never provided, as per Kaspersky. 

Scam landing page capitalizing on “F1: The Movie”

 

Scam landing page capitalizing on “F1: The Movie”

“Always check the website address to stay safe — scammers often use names that closely resemble legitimate ones to mislead victims. Avoid clicking on suspicious links; instead, type the website address directly into your browser’s search bar. Also, be wary of deals that seem too good to be true — they often turn out to be scams. When paying online, it’s also advisable to use virtual cards with spending limits,” said Olga Altukhova, a security expert at Kaspersky.

 

In another scam, attackers exploit the Apple and McDonald’s partnership: in select Latin American countries, fans can purchase a Formula 1-themed combo meal and receive exclusive toys — “F1” miniature racing cars.

 

Riding the wave of “F1” popularity, cybercriminals have launched a fake website offering these figurines for free in exchange for completing a movie-themed quiz. According to the scammers, users are required to pay only for delivery after completing the quiz — but that is when both the payment and the personal data submitted for “delivery” are stolen. The data may later be used in social engineering attacks or sold on the dark web.

 

Kaspersky experts have so far found the site only in Portuguese, but given the global popularity of the film and the enthusiasm of collectors worldwide, the scheme could easily spread to other regions. 

 

Scam landing page offering a quiz to win a free Apple and McDonald’s miniature racing car

 

“The scam page is fairly well-crafted: the quiz features several questions related to the movie’s theme, with plausible answer choices that add to the scheme’s credibility. For example, it asks who plays the lead role, where scenes with real cars were shot, or which famous racers consulted on the production. However, the fraudulent quiz allows unlimited attempts, and potential victims reach the prize delivery page even in case of not knowing the correct answers,” Olga Altukhova added.

 

Examples of questions presented in the quiz

 

Kaspersky has provided the following tips for individual users to avoid falling victim to such scams:

 

Verify website authenticity: Check URLs, domain names and customer reviews before making purchases online.

 

Be wary of unsolicited offers: Scammers often use pop-ups, ads, or phishing emails to direct users to fraudulent sites.

 

Avoid sharing personal information: Only provide sensitive details on secure, verified platforms.

 

 Use comprehensive security solutions: Reliable cybersecurity software can block phishing sites and prevent malware infections. 

Examples of questions presented in the quiz