Safety Alert: Claims of Full Half-Blood Prince Movie Contain Malware
HBP Film
Posted by: sue
June 26, 2009, 01:43 PM
It's movie season again, and that means one thing: Death Eaters are on the move again sending out bogus claims that fans can watch the full Half-Blood Prince movies online, however the mails and links contain harmful malware that will damage your computer. As we Harry Potter fans have seen similar situations in the past, PC World reminds us that:
If you happen to see a too-good-to-be-true offer to watch the latest Harry Potter movie online for free, watch out. According to anti-malware software maker PC Tools,
opportunistic crooks are using poisoned blog comments and dirty search
engine optimization tricks to highlight lures such as 'Watch "Harry
Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" online free. Clicking a link would
take you to a post that would then attempt to fool victims into
downloading and installing a "streamviewer" to see the movie, which is
of course actually malware. Online crooks have used fake video codecs
and viewers for years as a favorite social engineering tactic.
Viewer beware!
22 Comments
196 Points
I think they deserve it, personally, for trying to pirate a Harry Potter film like that.
1459 Points
Common Sense people, don’t look at anything that ISNT proven by Leaky. It doesn’t take a Computer Science Major (like me), to know that you don’t trust everything you see on the internet unless you trust the site.
16257 Points
As much as I would like to see the movie now, I wouldn’t dare do that. Its illegal and it’ll damage your computer.
209 Points
well I support the movie and JK 10000000% but daummm can u blame me for loving spoilers and been Desperate I waited 2 long years already
3238 Points
Not that many fans would actually WANT to watch the movie before the release date, for free, which is illegal anyway and is cheating out all of WB’s hard work and Jo’s storyline, even if it is not REALLY online! There are so many people who don’t even want to watch the first five minutes (including me)
184 Points
I can tell you that fans who try to do this are not real fans. Real fans would support the movie thus supporting JK Rowling. I think it’s sad that people do this both the victim and the perpetrator.
3703 Points
@punkedup88: Well, you can’t really say that they’re all not “real fans”. They’re probably just too anxious and too impatient, so they want to see HBP.
478 Points
watching the movie online for free is like cheating
JKR, and warner bors, but mostly
JKR, and y would a real fan do that?
329 Points
I want to watch it in the cinema anyways LOL.
Thanks for the warning!
943 Points
I don’t want to spoil my imax experience anyway…
79377 Points
All legal and moral considerations aside… NEVER attempt to download ANY film before it’s actual release in the theaters… Nobody is posting “screeners” anymore, so you are only asking for a worm or virus by doing so…
21478 Points
well… thanks for warning!!!
Thank God I never watch movies on the web!!! ;)
24135 Points
definitely a worthwhile reminder and disclaimer! :)
1882 Points
I like a good deal as much as the next person but watching a movie before it has been released is asking for trouble. I can wait to see it in the theater and then wait impatiently for the DVD release.
539 Points
Come on people let’s think before we act.
I think they deserve it, personally, for trying to pirate a Harry Potter film like that.