marry 22.07.2024, 15:00 PM
GTA fans have been warned about fake GTA VI Beta download ads that have surfaced on social media.
Rockstar Games, the company behind GTA, has announced the release of Grand Theft Auto VI in Fall 2025 for the PS5 and Xbox Series. This announcement was a perfect opportunity for scammers – Bitdefender researchers spotted suspicious Facebook ads promoting the download of a fake beta version of the game for PC.
Social media users, especially those who follow GTA content, may come across ads promising early access to the non-existent GTA VI beta. These ads often feature enticing news, release dates, and even pretty convincing gameplay footage (probably stolen in the Rockstar 2022 leak, but also from other sources)
According to Bitdefender’s report, between July 16 and 18, the company’s researchers came across a Facebook page promoting free access to the GTA beta version for the first 100 people. This site ran three different ads that used the same message and visuals, targeting people between the ages of 18 and 65.
The domain used in the ad was registered on June 27, 2024 and is also linked to another cryptocurrency scam. The primary targets were users in Europe, including France, Poland, Romania, Germany, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands and Sweden.
An MSI file downloaded via a Facebook ad mimics a legitimate GTA VI installer and installation process. The file is similar to the FakeBat loader malware, which downloads next-stage malware such as information-stealing malware and RATs.
Clicking on the ad takes you to a website that looks like a legitimate download page. There, the user is asked to download an “exclusive beta” version or complete a survey to gain access. However, these are not beta versions but malware in disguise. Rockstar Games hasn’t even announced a beta program for GTA VI.
As of July 19, none of these ads are active.
Although these ads have been reported, there could be hundreds of them on social media, especially Facebook, which is notorious for approving malicious ads.
To be safe, ignore sponsored posts on social media and only download games from official sites such as developer websites or trusted sellers.
Source: www.informacija.rs
