- A cancer patient lost $32,000 in cryptocurrency to a scam Malware game on Steam.
- Online investigators identified and reported a U.S.-based Argentine scammer to authorities.
- The malware game, “Block Blasters,” infected over 900 victims before Steam removed it.
- The crypto community raised funds to help the victim recover his losses.
- Security experts criticized Steam’s month-long delay in removing the malicious game.
A 26-year-old live streamer, Raivo Plavnieks, lost $32,000 in cryptocurrency after downloading a game containing malware from the Steam platform. The attacker targeted Plavnieks, who is undergoing treatment for stage-four sarcoma, and had raised the funds through creator rewards from his Pump Fun token (CANCER) campaign.
Plavnieks reported the theft during a livestream, stating that the game “Block Blasters” promised financial rewards but instead drained his earnings. According to VX-Underground, a group specializing in malware analysis, the malware linked to the game affected at least 907 individuals before action was taken.
“After this I was drained for over $32,000 of my creator fees earned on @pumpdotfun,” Plavnieks wrote after the incident. Following the hack, cyber investigators tracked down the scammers behind the attack. They obtained information about the attackers, including Telegram credentials and public profiles.
One suspected attacker, an Argentine national living in the U.S., was reported to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by online sleuths after being identified as flaunting luxury items purchased with stolen funds. The group’s findings were published in a public report, which criticized Steam and parent company Valve for a “poor” vetting process. They noted the game was available for nearly a month after first being flagged.
The malware campaign led to widespread reports from users, and Steam removed “Block Blasters” after increased public attention. Despite the theft, the crypto community rallied around Plavnieks, helping restore the lost funds so he could resume treatment.
Plavnieks’ GoFundMe campaign for medical expenses has raised about $14,000 out of its $22,000 goal as of the latest update. The attackers, according to the summary report, showed no intention of returning the stolen funds and face ongoing investigations by authorities.
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