Ahead of the release of HBO’s new series based on the hit video game The Last of US, cybercriminals have already concocted several new scams designed to steal financial data and infect vulnerable PCs with malware.
Once the new show releases on January 13, new fans of the series will likely want to go back and play the games it’s based on. To capitalize on this, cybercriminals are already offering downloads for The Last of Us on PC even though the PC port of the game won’t arrive until March.
According to a new report from the cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, its researchers discovered a site that’s offering downloads of The Last of Us Part II for PC. However, the problem here is that – like its predecessor – the game’s sequel isn’t available yet nor has it even been announced for PC.
If an unsuspecting user does land on the site offering the game for free, malicious files are downloaded onto their PC instead of the real game. In an email to Tom’s Guide, web content analyst at Kaspersky, Olga Svistunova provided further insight on the damage these malicious files can do, saying:
“The malicious files distributed can range from Trojans, which can collect your personal data, passwords, and your bank card details without you even knowing it, to ransomware, after which all the files on your device will be encrypted and cybercriminals will demand a ransom within a few hours to get access to them again.”
Activation codes and ‘free’ gifts
In addition to sites with…
