In a daring move, hackers have taken aim at Call of Duty cheaters, infecting their devices with malware that aims to siphon their Bitcoin holdings. This cyberattack has sent shockwaves through both the gaming and cryptocurrency worlds.
Unveiling the Attack: As reported by CoinDesk, a group of hackers has deployed malware specifically designed to target Call of Duty cheaters and drain their Bitcoin reserves.
The insidious software has already impacted a substantial number of players, with the numbers continuing to climb. Shockingly, not all affected individuals were cheaters; some were using legitimate gaming aids.
Reports surfaced after users of “PhantomOverlay,” a provider of cheat codes for Call of Duty, noticed unauthorized transactions. In a similar vein, other cheat providers including “Elite PVPers” revealed comparable breaches over the past week.
The cyberattack has led to the compromise of sensitive data, including login credentials and the content of Electrum wallets. The full extent of the stolen cryptocurrency remains unknown at this time.
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Implications for Activision Blizzard: Once spearheaded by Microsoft, the developer behind Call of Duty, Activision Blizzard is teaming up with cheat code providers to assist impacted gamers. The breach count currently stands at over 3.6 million Battlenet,
561,000 Activision, and 117,000 Elite PVPers accounts.
Disputing the reported figures, PhantomOverlay denounced them as “inflated” in a recent Telegram communication. This incident adds to a broader narrative where game cheaters find themselves in the crosshairs of exploiters, echoing previous events in the Fortnite community back in 2018 and 2019.
The Significance: The cyberattack targeting Call of Duty cheaters signifies a momentous chapter in the ongoing war between cyber criminals and the gaming realm. This incident is not an isolated occurrence; it reflects a growing trend of cyber incursions in both gaming and cryptocurrency landscapes. In 2023, cryptocurrency phishing scams witnessed a drastic surge, resulting in $295 million being stolen from around 324,000 victims.
Furthermore, events like the fake Ledger Live app scam on the Microsoft App Store, which led to the theft of $590K in Bitcoin, underscore the susceptibility of users to intricate phishing campaigns. Additionally, in 2023, hackers linked to North Korea reportedly absconded with over $1 billion in crypto assets, marking a milestone in cryptocurrency platform breaches.
Explore Further: Bitcoin, Ethereum Take a Respite as Dogecoin Surges, Propelling Crypto Market Cap Past $2.6 Trillion — Analyst Envisions BTC Reaching $80K Before Next Halving
Image via Shutterstock
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