GTA 6 fans targeted by scammers as pre-order hype starts

Be careful, Grand Theft Auto fans. Cybercriminals are already weaponizing your excitement for GTA 6 to hack your devices and scam you out of money.

According to a new report from NordVPN’s Threat Intelligence research unit, multiple malware and scam campaigns have rolled out recently, looking to capitalize on the impending release of perhaps the most anticipated video game of all time, Grand Theft Auto IV.

Developer Rockstar Games finally announced a release date of Nov. 19, 2026 for GTA 6, which means it'll be 13 years between its release and its predecessor, GTA 5. Bad actors know GTA 6 fans can hardly wait a few more months and are itching to purchase a pre-order or download a beta release. And those cybercriminals are looking to take advantage of that.

"GTA VI is one of the most anticipated releases in gaming history, and that level of public excitement is exactly what criminals look for," says NordVPN CTO Marijus Briedis. "When people are desperate to get early access to something, their guard comes down. That's the window attackers exploit."

Fake GTA 6 beta websites

According to NordVPN, its researchers have uncovered fake GTA 6 beta websites. These fake GTA sites claim to offer beta keys for PS5 and Xbox Series consoles. Users are asked to fill out a form, go through a verification process, and then asked to pay for a subscription service or download an unknown application.

Rockstar Games have yet to announce any sort of public GTA 6 beta. These fake websites don't actually have beta keys to offer. Instead, they're looking to charge a user for a service they don't want or, even worse, steal their information or install malware on their device.

Fake piracy websites

Malicious actors are even faking "legitimate" piracy websites in order to scam GTA 6 fans. 

NordVPN has uncovered fake clones of gaming piracy websites that are being used to spread malware to Grand Theft Auto fans. While downloading pirated or cracked games inherently has their own risks, gamers have come to trust certain well-known sites like FitGirl, DODI, and ElAmigos.

According to NordVPN, in one instance detected earlier this month, a "malicious package" on one of these clones "presented itself as a legitimate game installer." However, once downloaded, a trojanized malicious file hides under the disguise of a NVIDIA graphics driver component.

Operating undetected, this malware modifies a computer's memory, downloads other malware, and connects to external servers where cybercriminals can send instructions to the malicious file.

Fake GTA 6 Android apps

NordVPN has already uncovered at least one Android app masquerading as a GTA 6 beta application.

The fake GTA 6 app has branding and an intro video that makes it look officially connected to Rockstar Games. However, there's no actual game in this app. Instead, the app tricks users into believing that they just need to download additional data to run the app.

A prompt sends users to full-screen ads and external page redirects that pressures the user to subscribe to a paid service or to download malware. The report says that the bad actors even disguised the actions they want users to take as steps in a fake human verification process.

According to NordVPN, researchers discovered that the app was connected to a domain with a "documented history of distributing infostealers, banking trojans, adware, and ransomware on both Android and Windows."

Rockstar Social Club phishing campaigns

GTA fans who have an account on the Rockstar Social Club platform are specifically being targeted as well, according to NordVPN.

Researchers have already tracked "hundreds of amateur phishing pages targeting Rockstar Social Club credentials through fake login forms." 

NordVPN says that scammers often weaponize trusted platforms like GitHub and Vercel as hosts for these fake pages in order to perpetuate their phishing schemes. 

Once a bad actor compromises a user's Rockstar Social Club account, they often try to sell the account on the dark web or utilize the account for in-game fraud.

GTA 6 fans should be extra careful in the coming months as hackers are likely to ramp up their campaigns as the game's release date gets closer. The notorious hacking collective ShinyHunters breached Rockstar Games just last month, so it appears no one is safe from GTA inspired schemes.