‘Watch The Odyssey for free online’: scam targets film fans with fake streaming sites

The Guardian · 🇬🇧 public United Kingdom · Aug 09, 2026 · 602 words · By Shane Hickey

Online Fraud Prevention Cybersecurity Awareness

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The Odyssey is the hottest release this summer and you have been looking forward to seeing the much-acclaimed adaptation of Homer’s epic ancient Greek poem.

Claims checked 5

Techniques found 2

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left17%

Center66%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The Odyssey is the hottest release this summer and you have been looking forward to seeing the much-acclaimed adaptation of Homer’s epic ancient Greek poem.

Why it matters

But you have been unable to go to the cinema, so when you spot an ad to watch online, you jump at the chance.

Common ground

There are positive reviews posted on the site so you decide to sign up.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Fear: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Online Fraud Prevention story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that In the UK, you should contact Action Fraud, the national fraud reporting centre?
How does this story connect Online Fraud Prevention with Cybersecurity Awareness over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/aug/09/watch-the-odyssey-for-free-online-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 60% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Fear 70% confidence

Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 5 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 2

info Single Source 2

verified Verified By Reference 1

verified

Claim 1: “In the UK, you should contact Action Fraud, the national fraud reporting centre.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and other authoritative sources explicitly state that Action Fraud is the UK's national fraud reporting service/centre.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Benefit fraud is a form of welfare fraud as found within the system of government benefits paid to individuals by the welfare state in the United Kingdom.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benefit_fraud_in_the_United_Ki…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — In law, fraud is intentional deception to deprive a victim of a legal right or to gain from a victim unlawfully or unfairly. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraud

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is a non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom that investigates and prosecutes serious or complex fraud and corruption in England, W…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serious_Fraud_Office_(United_K…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “BeStreamWise, a UK campaign body set up to alert the public to the dangers of illegal streaming”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (The Guardian, Crimestoppers, and a statement from the CEO of FACT) confirm that BeStreamWise is a UK campaign focused on the dangers of illegal streaming.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Below is an article in the latest edition of our Connections magazine by Matt Hibbert, Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky, about the BeStreamWise campaign on the dangers of illegal streaming. Matt Hibbert…
https://crimestoppers-uk.org/news-media/news/2024/aug/liftin…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Now a campaign called BeStreamWise, with the slogan “Illegal streams let criminals in”, has gone live. There is a website (bestreamwise.com), plus posters on London Underground and at other locations,…
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/oct/07/uk-user…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — "BeStreamWise is an essential educational platform focused on raising awareness about the dangers of illegal streaming and we are proud to be a partner of this important industry initiative," said Kie…
https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2023/1115/1416569-warning-o…

info

Claim 3: “Among the risks from illegal streaming is the potential for malware to be downloaded on to a computer.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists only of dictionary definitions of the word 'illegal' and does not provide any factual information regarding the link between illegal streaming and malware.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — ILLEGAL definition: 1. not allowed by law: 2. not allowed by the rules of a sport: 3. an offensive word for someone…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/illegal

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Something illegal is against the law or breaks the rules. If you're reading this in jail, you've probably done something illegal, and if you're not in jail, there's plenty of time to obey the law.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/illegal

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Nov 4, 2025 · The meaning of ILLEGAL is not according to or authorized by law : contrary to or in violation of a law : unlawful, illicit; also : not sanctioned by official rules (as of a game).
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illegal

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Claim 4: “Olga Altukhova, an analyst at Kaspersky”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources confirm Olga Altukhova's role at Kaspersky: The Guardian explicitly calls her an analyst at Kaspersky, and a Kaspersky Security Bulletin lists her as a Senior web content analyst.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Anna Larkina, Web data and privacy analysis expert at KasperskyOlga Altukhova, Senior web content analyst at KasperskyThe app operated in the UAE and Indonesia and had over 10,000 downloads at the tim…
https://lp.kaspersky.com/global/ksb2025-retail-and-ecom/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Olga Altukhova, an analyst at Kaspersky, says consumers should be particularly wary if a film that has only just been released, and is still showing in cinemas, pops up on an unfamiliar platform.
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/aug/09/watch-the-odys…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Securelist blog houses Kaspersky’s threat intelligence reports, malware research, APT analysis and statistics.
https://securelist.com/

info

Claim 5: “The cybersecurity company Kaspersky says some of the fake sites claim to offer dubbed versions of the film in the victim’s native language.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the evidence confirms Kaspersky is a cybersecurity company, the provided search results do not contain the specific claim regarding fake sites offering dubbed versions of films based on native languages.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Kaspersky Lab ... Kaspersky Lab (/ kæˈspɜːrski /; Russian: Лаборатория Касперского, romanized: Laboratoriya Kasperskogo) is a Russian multinational cybersecurity and anti-virus provider company headqu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaspersky_Lab

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Official Site – A Global Leader in next-generation cybersecurity solutions and services, Kaspersky offers premium protection against all cyber threats for your home and business.
https://www.kaspersky.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Get Kaspersky Standard with your Kaspersky Anti-Virus activation code — at no extra cost until your license expires. Keep the trusted protection and unlock new privacy, performance and crypto security…
https://www.kaspersky.com/downloads/antivirus

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.