Bitcoin scammers took advantage of the drama around the leak of popular videogame series Grand Theft Auto (GTA). The game is currently under development in its sixth installment by legendary studio Rockstar, but a bad actor was able to infiltrate their network and steal critical data on the project.
Rockstar Games confirmed the hacked via their official Twitter handle classifying as an “illegal” breach of their systems. The hacker operates under the name “Teapot” and was able to download “confidential information”, the legendary game studio confirmed, “including early development footage for the next Grand Theft Auto”.
The hacker took to GTA Forums to share over 90 clips of the upcoming title and threatened to release more information, including GTA 5’s source code. The hacker published a Telegram account, and asked Rockstar representatives to contact him or any person willing to purchase the stolen information.
Scammers Stole Bitcoin In Exchange For Fake GTA 6 DataThe bad actor specifically asked for offers above 5 figures in U.S. dollars. In the meantime, impersonators were offering the data in exchange for Bitcoin. According to a report by YouTuber MrMattyPlays, someone sent 2.2 Bitcoin (BTC) or around $100,000 to purchase the data.
However, the Rockstar hacker denied that the money was transferred to his wallet confirming that people were being scammed by these impersonators. Bitcoin explorer mempool.space shows that the address Bc1q5ctpkgan2npcwwsq9esvuq2fzne3m6qd8he7c5, associated with the scams, currently holds around $96,690 from 6 transactions.
As the report claims, Teapot was identified by a group of hackers allegedly as a 16-year-old teenager based in the United Kingdom. The hacker was tied to another massive cyber attack on Uber, and other companies, and it is currently under investigation by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The alleged hacker was already charged with illicit cyber activity in the U.K., thus he erased the Telegram channel and other social media accounts. The team behind Rockstar has not commented on the latter or about any investigation, they did express disappointment about the attack but claim the game won’t be affected:
Will GTA 6 Have In-Game Bitcoin Transactions?Our work on the next Grand Theft Auto Games will continue as planned and we remain as committed as every to delivering an experience to you, our players, that truly exceeds your expectations.
Several reports from gaming outlets have been able to confirm some of the potential features and details of the upcoming GTA 6 series. The game will take place in the fictional “Vice City” where players will allegedly be able to play with the first GTA female protagonist and interact with the local fauna, drive new vehicles, and more.
However, the game is currently at a very early stage in development, and anything can be susceptible to changes. As Bitcoinist reported in 2021, there were rumors about in-game Bitcoin and crypto transactions taking place in GTA 6.
According to Watcher Guru, the leaked data shows no evidence that the developer is planning to include this features. At the time of writing, BTC’s price trades at $19,300 with a 2% profit in the last 24 hours.
BTC’s price moving sideways on the 4-hour chart. Source: BTCUSDT Tradingview
