Bitdefender Labs has uncovered a sequence of scams focusing on the Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) group, exploiting main esports occasions like IEM Katowice 2025 and PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025.
In keeping with Bitdefender’s investigation, shared with Hackread.com, cybercriminals are hijacking YouTube channels and impersonating fashionable skilled gamers corresponding to s1mple, NiKo, and donk to trick followers into fraudulent giveaways. These scams have a number of phases and purpose to steal Steam accounts, cryptocurrency, and useful in-game objects.
First, scammers hack YouTube accounts, typically these with established subscriber bases. They then rebrand these channels to imitate well-known CS2 professionals, eradicating unique content material.
Subsequent, they broadcast faux livestreams, utilizing looped gameplay footage to create the phantasm of a reside occasion. These fake streams promote faux giveaways of CS2 skins, circumstances, or cryptocurrency, typically utilizing QR codes or malicious hyperlinks to direct viewers to malicious web sites.
These web sites immediate victims to both log in with their Steam accounts, resulting in stock theft, or ship cryptocurrency with guarantees of doubled returns, leading to direct theft of digital property. To look extra professional, scammers typically submit in regards to the faux giveaways in the neighborhood part of the hijacked channel, disabling feedback aside from their very own misleading messages.
Bitdefender’s report discovered that scammers are additionally operating cryptocurrency-doubling schemes. In these scams, they entice victims to ship Bitcoin or Ethereum with the promise of doubling their funding. These schemes typically use faux endorsements from CS.MONEY or skilled gamers, falsely promoting substantial prize swimming pools.
Some crimson flags embrace guarantees of doubling deposits, requests to ship cryptocurrency up entrance, and a scarcity of verifiable affiliation with professional esports organizations. These scams are strategically timed to coincide with main esports occasions like IEM Katowice and PGL Cluj-Napoca to maximise their attain.
“Scammers, techniques are evolving to take advantage of the hype surrounding main esports occasions. Whether or not they’re stealing Steam inventories or cryptocurrency deposits, their aim is all the time monetary achieve on the expense of unsuspecting gamers. If there’s one factor avid gamers ought to bear in mind is that on the earth of CS2 and esports, nothing useful comes at no cost!” they concluded.
Subsequently, avid gamers ought to confirm YouTube channels’ legitimacy by checking for content material past livestreams and up to date uploads and keep away from clicking on suspicious hyperlinks and QR codes. Additionally they advise in opposition to CS2 giveaways, as professional ones are uncommon and usually hosted by official esports organizations.
Bitdefender additionally warns content material creators, together with these streaming esports and CS2, about potential phishing threats. Furthermore, to guard your Steam account, allow Steam Guard Cellular Authenticator and Steam’s Multi-Issue Authentication. Usually evaluation login exercise for unauthorized entry, report suspicious exercise or livestreams to YouTube and warn different gaming communities.
