Cybercriminals luring people fans of “The Last of Us” on promise of PC game version

“The Last of Us”, one of the most anticipated series based on the PlayStation game of the same name, is finally out on HBO channel on 15th January 2023. Knowing that after the series release the “The Last of Us” universe will have hundreds of thousands of new fans, cybercriminals were plotting new schemes before the series went live. Specifically, the fraudsters were spreading scams on the PlayStation game, which is extremely rare. What’s more, to infect victims with malware, they were offering downloads of “The Last of Us” game for PC, but in fact, this file has not even been released yet.

Many viewers of “The Last of Us” would undoubtedly want to play this game after seeing it so they can direct the actions of their favourite characters. However, they are unlikely to be aware that “The Last of Us” is a PlayStation-only title if they haven’t previously been fans of this game series. Notably, they might not be aware that the game’s initial instalment would only be made available on PCs in March 2023.

Threat actors are proactively using some of the people’s lack of awareness. According to Kaspersky researchers, they found a site that offers to download “The Last of Us Part II” on a PC. Those who don’t know that the game’s PC version is not out yet will download a malicious file instead of the real game. The file would lay dormant in the system for years without ever the person knowing as it will not do anything harmful that will be visible.

Cybercriminals offer to download “The Last of Us Part II,” which has not been announced for release on PC yet

A phishing website that provides an activation code for “The Last of Us” was also found by Kaspersky specialists. Users must select one of the “gifts” they will receive with the game, such as a brand-new PlayStation 5 or a $100 Roblox Gift Card, to download the file containing the code. To pay the commission fee, consumers are then instructed to provide their login information and credit card information. In reality, by handing over their information to the con artists, fans will have their money stolen, leaving them with nothing, and their personal information will later be exploited in more fraudulent operations.

Along with the code for the game, users are asked to choose from a list of tempting gifts that may interest any gamer

Olga Svistunova, a security expert at Kaspersky said “The Last of Us will be a real boom in early 2023, considering how many years millions of fans have been waiting for the series. Curiously, now instead of offering pre-access to the series, cybercriminals have chosen a different path and are distributing malicious files under the guise of a game. This shows that gamers, especially the new ones who don’t yet know enough about cybersecurity when playing, are among the main target audience for cybercriminals, and they will come up with more and more ways to exploit them. Be alert and check if your coveted game is available on the platform offered, download games only from official app stores and don’t forget to use a trusted security solution.”

To avoid falling victim to malicious programs and scams, Kaspersky recommends that users:

● Avoid links promising early viewings of films or TV series. If you have any doubts about the authenticity of the content, check with your entertainment provider.

● Check the authenticity of the website before entering personal data and only use official, trusted web pages to watch or download movies. Double-check URL formats and company name spellings.

● Pay attention to the extensions of files you are downloading. A video file will never have a .exe or .msi extension.

● Use a reliable security solution, such as Kaspersky Security Cloud, that identifies malicious attachments and blocks phishing sites.