It was only yesterday thatRockstar Gamesfinally confirmedGrand Theft Auto 6with a first-look trailer and 2025 release window. However, it seems like scammers are already hoping to bait gamers by spreading out fake setup files that replicate installing an unreleased game on your PC, all while secretly injecting a series of malware into your system.
A screenshot from one instance of these malicious files was shared on Reddit by userda13371337. If you have ever installed a pirated game on your PC, the appearance of this malicious installer is exactly like one from FitGirl Repacks, a well-known group that releases compressed versions of cracked games. If you were to somehow have no idea about the release window of Grand Theft Auto 6, you may find these files available for download on some of those shady websites that are hungry for more downloads, and fall into the trap.
Grand Theft Auto 6’s Trailer Includes Multiple Real-Life Crime References
There’s a lot to unpack from Grand Theft Auto 6’s very first trailer.
For an informative gamer who follows the news, has watched the trailer until the very end, or at least has a brief knowledge of how games are usually released, it is almost impossible to fall into such a trap. Grand Theft Auto 6 doesn’t have a release date yet, as all we know is that it’s coming on one of the 365 days of 2025 (assuming there are no delays), but that’s not even the important part. This game has not even been confirmed for PC. So there is absolutely 0% chance that you should trust an unknown software that promises to install an unreleased and unconfirmed game onto your system.
How Do Scammers Find Success Through Spreading Fake Files?
The scammers behind these fake and malicious files are likely looking to bait younger gamers who may somehow believe that Grand Theft Auto 6 has already been released on PC or that its files have been leaked. Either way, all you need to do is turn a blind eye to these files and never come back to the websites promoting them ever again.
Also, it’s not always about malware. Sometimes some download websites may just repack a random game and rebrand it as Grand Theft Auto 6 just to lure you to download it, which increases their pageviews at the very least if they don’t ask you to pay to download the fake files.
Keep it in mind that most previous Rockstar titles, includingGrand Theft Auto 4,Grand Theft Auto 5, andRed Dead Redemption 2were released on consoles first, with a PC confirmation coming only months after their launch. Other Rockstar games, like Red Dead Revolver and Red Dead Redemption, were never even released on PC. So, if you are a PC gamer, you will first need to wait for confirmation news from Rockstar Games before anticipating anything else such as its release date on consoles.
If, for any reason, you have fallen into such traps, we strongly recommend you remove the malicious files from your PC as soon as possible and even format your HDD or SSD if possible to get rid of any single bit of the malware that may have infiltrated deep into your system files.
To ensure you’re staying safe online, we highly recommend readingMicrosoft’s tips on how to protect your PC from viruses. Installing an anti-virus and keeping your operating system updated are just some of the ways you can prevent viruses from attacking your computer.
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