FBI arrests 21 yo hacker behind malware Steam games

The FBI recently arrested a hacker who allegedly stole cryptocurrencies through Steam games. But what's even crazier about this situation is that he was caught because of Uber Eats gift vouchers!

21-year-old Zyairea Wilkins from Florida was recently arrested by the FBI. He is suspected, along with his accomplices, of distributing Steam games infected with malware in order to steal cryptocurrencies from players who downloaded those games. According to the investigation, the group infected around 8,000 PCs and, believe it or not, stole more than $220,000 from approximately 80 crypto wallets.

The investigation states that malicious titles such as PirateFi, Dashverse, Lunar, BlockBlasters, and Lampy looked like completely ordinary Steam games, but secretly installed malware that stole things like passwords and access to users' crypto wallets. These games were promoted through Discord, Telegram, LinkedIn, and Twitter/X, with users believed to own larger amounts of cryptocurrency being specifically targeted.

What ultimately led the FBI to the suspect was an unexpectedly simple clue. Part of the stolen cryptocurrency was used to purchase, believe it or not, more than 150 gift cards, including Uber Eats vouchers, which investigators linked to his university email address and other personal information.

This massive situation has attracted a lot of attention among PC gamers. Many are surprised that infected games even made it onto Steam in the first place, while others point out the irony that the entire operation was exposed because of simple Uber Eats gift card purchases, which left investigators with a very clear trail leading to the suspect, Zyairea Wilkins.

The FBI claims it has dismantled a years-long operation in which Steam games were used to steal cryptocurrencies from thousands of users.

In the end, the investigation wasn't solved by sophisticated technology, but by a series of seemingly ordinary Uber Eats gift card purchases that led investigators straight to the main suspect.