FBI Detains Suspect Allegedly Exploiting Steam Games to Deplete Victims’ Crypto Funds
Federal authorities have charged a man from Florida with uploading counterfeit video games embedded with malware to Steam, a widely used PC game platform. The malware was reportedly intended to compromise the computers of users who downloaded the games, enabling the theft of personal information, including passwords and cryptocurrency funds, as detailed in a criminal complaint.
On Tuesday, the FBI detained 21-year-old Zyaire Wilkins, a resident and student from Florida. The following day, prosecutors accused him along with several unnamed associates of committing hacking offenses. Over the last two years, Wilkins and his collaborators allegedly released multiple malware-infected games on Steam, such as BlockBlasters, Dashverse, Lampy, Lunara, and PirateFi. According to the FBI, the malware affected approximately 8,000 individuals and led to the theft of around $220,000 in cryptocurrency from about 80 wallets.
Authorities reported that Wilkins and his accomplices promoted their harmful games through platforms like Discord, LinkedIn, and Telegram.
Attempts to reach Wilkins’ attorney for comments were unsuccessful.
In March, the FBI announced an investigation into a hacker believed to be exploiting malware-ridden video games released on Steam to target victims. They encouraged individuals who had downloaded these games—some of which were mentioned in the recent complaint—to come forward with any relevant information.
Over the past year, Valve, the company behind Steam, has removed multiple games from its platform after finding them to be malicious, including PirateFi. These games were crafted to appear legitimate, allowing users to install and play them, yet each contained harmful malware.
After identifying an additional suspect in the case, federal agents conducted an interview. This individual revealed participation in fundraising efforts to develop and market the malicious games in exchange for a share of the stolen cryptocurrency. The FBI tracked a specific cryptocurrency account tied to this operation, tracing transactions to the purchase of various gift cards, including those for Uber Eats. Following a subpoena to Uber, investigators found that the gift cards were linked to an account that had made deliveries to Wilkins, who is known online by the alias Sibel.eth, as indicated in the complaint.
Subsequently, authorities obtained a search warrant for Wilkins’ home, where they confiscated a MacBook, smartphones, additional gadgets, and digital wallets. Reportedly, he declined to provide any statements or answer questions during the investigation.
