Out there online, there are many places to watch content. Some of them treat their users as customers, so you will have to pay for their services or at least get authorized at the site.
Other ones may treat you more like a good to sell: the primary purpose of their existence is not giving you a good time watching films or series but showing you as many ads as possible. And FMovies is one such site.
Here, let’s see what threats there are and how to use a site with free movies safely.
What is FMovies?
Essentially, FMovies is a website where you can watch, stream, and even download movies for free. One can call it a streaming service. Yet, there is a huge ‘but’ about this site, which is distributing pirated content. It has existed since 2016, and it was eliminated from Google search for it.
Also, it is a series of websites. They sometimes change their web address due to the pirated content there. As the sites do not require payments nor registration from you, it profits from ads traffic you view. For that reason, you will have to see at least two ads before starting viewing content.
However, ads are the least scary thing about that, as you can also catch a virus on one of FMovies sites.
Is FMovies Legal?
The question of whether FMovies is legal or not is quite tricky. Using this site depends on from where you visit it and what legislation functions in your area. Notably, the content on FMovies breaks several copyright laws, which is why it was banned by Google.
Besides, everything about the site will remind you that you didn’t pay for the content, from the number of ads (especially if you don’t have an antivirus) to the video quality, so you kind of get what you pay for.
Is FMovies Safe to Use?
Unfortunately, it is not entirely safe to use such resources as FMovies. When you enter the site, you get straight to a malware party with both visible and hidden threats to your device and data security.
Some of them are just annoying, while others are naturally dangerous. While visiting and using FMovies, it is better to have an antivirus and watch out for confusing links, pop-ups, and suspicious buttons. So, let’s see what kinds of threats you can face on FMovies.
What Threats am I Exposed to While Using FMovies?
Many threats on sites like FMovies do more harm, not to the computer, but the user, because suddenly advertisements start to appear on the screen, and the frequency of display can be very different.
These are programs that turn on ads every day at the same time, and the browser infected with Adware constantly changes the start page or periodically goes to the cybercriminals’ website. This is the way intrusive advertisements, pop-ups, and pop-unders work. Almost every click on such a site will trigger a vast ad banner to appear or play a video you cannot skip.
Nonetheless, there are more significant threats than bearing a loud and probably tasteless ad for 15 seconds. This threat is about malware you can accidentally download on your device. First of all, it is not advised to download any files from such sites since the chances are high you will get ransomware along with or even instead of the film you want to watch.
So, your planned movie night can turn into trouble for your device. Visiting FMovies and other pirate sites is an acknowledged risk, so the least you can do to protect your gear and data is to install a good antivirus.
What Should I Do If I’ve Used FMovies?
Even if you spend just several minutes on the site, there is already a chance to get some malware on your computer via unwanted downloads.
However, there are several steps to improve or ensure protection.
- If you happen to enter the website, you will see an attack of pop-ups and banners advertising certain products. Avoid clicking them.
- Check whether you accidentally launched a program or exe. file. Besides, if the new window opened, it is better not to leave it that way. Close it.
- Lastly, run a scan via the antivirus software after you had an FMovies session. It is likely to find a new threat if it managed to infiltrate your device.
Notably, such an antivirus as Total AV has the WebShield and Real-Time Protection features, which can help your online protection against phishing URLs. Be sure to use such options if you have antivirus installed.
As one can see, the best idea is not to visit FMovies without an antivirus that can protect your computer from viruses, malware, and intrusive ads.
Depending on your antivirus features, the protection software can block pop-ups on the site, halt ads, detect potentially threatening downloads, alert you about background downloads, and simply block sites that contain many threats. It is up to you how to set up and what security features to look for.
If you are not sure what you expect from an antivirus of what features will suit your security needs, start with seeing what other people say. For example, you can check a PC Matic Review or compare it to a Total AV review. This way, you can see whether their security features match your requirement and online activity. As it was mentioned, one of them has a real-time protection option, which should identify the threat if you download shortly.
Also, there are free and paid antiviruses. Clearly, the former will also have pop-up ads, which can appear ironic if you look for one to block pop-ups on sites. Nonetheless, today there is a wide variety of security software for you to choose from and watch your movies safely.
