Scammers Exploit EU Websites for Streaming Piracy Scams

Scammers found a way to exploit official EU websites by redirecting users to streaming piracy scams.

The fraudulent pages, promising free content such as Super Bowl streams, ranked high in Google search results.

After being alerted, EFSA quickly shut down the compromised subdomain, but similar threats persist across other official EU websites and beyond.

How Scammers Exploit Search Engine Gaps

Search engines like Google actively deindex piracy-related domains to make it harder for users to stumble upon unverified streaming sites.

While this measure helps reduce direct access to piracy, it has created an unintended consequence—scammers have filled the gap.

Since trusted pirate sites no longer dominate search results, scammers manipulate search algorithms by creating pages filled with high-traffic keywords such as “stream,” “free,” and “download.”

For example, when searching for ‘free sports live streams’ the first Google result is listed as the All Florida Safety Institute. We know this is misleading since CrackStreams was shut down.

They place these on reputable domains, including government websites, universities, and social platforms, making them appear more trustworthy to unsuspecting users. This problem isn’t new.

Fraudsters have frequently targeted European Union websites, taking advantage of vulnerabilities to host or link to deceptive content. Despite efforts to mitigate these attacks, stopping them entirely has proven difficult.

EFSA Website Hijacked for Scam Redirects

The latest exploit of an EU subdomain may be one of the most severe. Scammers used mgmt-test.efsa.europa.eu, a test subdomain of the EFSA website, to lure users into fraudulent schemes.

Instead of simply embedding misleading links, this scam automatically redirected users to phishing sites.

The fraudulent pages targeted people looking for free Super Bowl streaming options, offering links that instead led to scam sites demanding credit card details.

Other variations directed users to adult content, including OnlyFans leaks, and pirated movie downloads. In every case, users who clicked these links did not get what they expected.

This scam was particularly dangerous because previous exploits typically involved scammers uploading PDFs or user-generated content containing suspicious links.

This time, the redirect function made it nearly impossible for victims to detect the deception before landing on a phishing page.

EFSA Responds Swiftly, But Risks Remain

Once alerted to the exploit, EFSA acted quickly. The compromised subdomain was taken offline within hours, and search engines began removing the fraudulent pages. While this was an effective short-term fix, similar threats continue to emerge.

Just days later, similar scams appeared on other EU websites, including the European Social Fund+ and the Interoperable Europe platform.

The issue is not limited to EU domains, either. Scammers have also exploited sites from GitHub, the University of Melbourne, and even government websites in Texas.

These repeated attacks highlight an ongoing cybersecurity issue—reputable institutions with strong domain authority are prime targets for scammers looking to bypass search engine filtering.

Irony of Google’s Anti-Piracy Measures

There’s a clear irony in how search engines combat piracy. By deindexing illegal streaming and download sites, Google and others inadvertently created an opening for scammers to manipulate search results.

Now, instead of directing users to pirate sites, search engines often push them toward phishing scams and fake streaming offers. This loophole is being actively exploited, and without a more comprehensive solution, these scams will likely continue.

For more details on this story, refer to the report from TorrentFreak.

We want to know your thoughts on this story. What do you think about these scammers exploiting Google search results? Let us know in the comment section below!

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