GTA 6 Early-Access Scams Seek Crypto Payments and Wallet Access

Fake websites selling supposed early access to Grand Theft Auto VI are seeking cryptocurrency payments and wallet connections, exposing visitors to possible losses beyond the prices shown on their pages.

One page advertised a purported full copy for $1,000 and 24-hour demo access for $100. Those amounts were listed prices, not measured losses. The offers were among GTA 6-themed pages examined from June through October that used the prospect of playing before release to attract visitors.

A page examined in June requested $250 in Bitcoin (BTC), Tether (USDT) or Ether (ETH). Buyers were instructed to enter a transaction ID to unlock a download after paying. That made a cryptocurrency transfer the first step toward obtaining the promised game file.

Another page examined in September advertised a leaked copy for $50 or 1 Solana (SOL). Its crypto option prompted visitors to connect a wallet. Code on the page was designed to prepare a transfer of nearly the wallet’s entire SOL balance, rather than collect the displayed price. The amount exposed would depend on how much SOL the visitor held.

The page also carried a script that could check assets on seven other blockchain networks. It could request an immediate cryptocurrency transfer or permissions to move tokens and nonfungible token (NFT) collections later. Connecting a wallet alone would not authorize either action; the visitor would still have to approve a transaction or permission request.

Fake demo pages have also presented a download as a GTA 6 installer. The file was designed to steal passwords stored in a browser and active session data. That approach targeted login credentials, while the payment and wallet pages sought cryptocurrency directly.

The approaches required different steps from a visitor: sending cryptocurrency, approving wallet activity or opening a downloaded installer. A price displayed on a page would not limit the amount sought by its wallet request.

Rockstar Games has scheduled Grand Theft Auto VI for Nov. 19 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Its standard edition is priced at $79.99. Digital preorder customers can begin preloading Nov. 12, but downloading the game files then does not unlock play before the release date.