Scammers Target Russians with Access to Blocked Streaming Services
In the wake of Spotify and Netflix leaving the Russian market, scammers have begun offering Russians access to these and other streaming services through ads on the dark web and platforms like Avito. According to experts, about 40% of these offers are fraudulent, putting buyers at risk of losing money and potentially damaging their reputations.
How the Scam Works
This month, researchers from Kaspersky Lab discovered dozens of ads on Russian-language underground sites selling access to Spotify Premium, Netflix Premium, Pornhub, and various VPN services. The sellers often claim to represent digital goods stores with a wide range of attractive services, including account renewals.
Most commonly, sellers offer to add buyers to a foreign family account. Many streaming services allow family subscriptions, and scammers exploit this by purchasing stolen account credentials on the black market and reselling access as a service to popular sites.
Risks for Buyers
“The risks for potential buyers are high,” Kaspersky expert Leonid Bezvershenko told Kommersant newspaper. “It’s unclear how the scammers will use the buyer’s personal data. We suspect that most of these offers are scams designed to steal money.”
Similar fraudulent ads have been found on Avito by members of the cybersecurity project StopPhish. In February, there were 70 sellers offering Spotify accounts on Avito; now there are 57. There are also four current offers for Netflix access and 25 for the free VPN service Windscribe.
According to T.Hunter, up to 40% of such ads on the dark web and classified sites are scams, but the only way to verify this is to make a purchase. Even if the account works initially, the streaming service may block the user if it detects a login from an unfamiliar IP address.
Platform Response
Avito representatives commented on the situation: “The resale of lawfully obtained access to services is not prohibited by Russian law. We block ads that violate the law or our platform’s rules. We have tools in place to monitor and address such violations.”
Stay Safe Online
Experts advise users to be cautious when encountering offers for access to blocked or premium streaming services, especially on unofficial platforms. Purchasing such access not only risks financial loss but may also expose personal data to cybercriminals.