Counter-Strike gamers targeted by faux Gamekeyz phishers

Players of the online tactical first-person shooter game Counter-Strike may want to avoid maneuvering themselves into this real-life trap: giving away their private data to a website offering them free game registration keys.

 

Security vendor Bitdefender said the site appeared to be set up in time for last week's launch of Valve Corp.'s latest version of the game dubbed "Counter Strike – Global Offensive."

 

In a blog post, it said cybercrooks set up a spoofed Gamekeyz website "to lure 'Counter-Strike' fans with 500 allegedly free registration Keys."

 

"Crooks understand that in this phase of the release they can easily get gamers to give up sensitive data in return for empty promises of a game license. The old school trick gets the job done," it said.

 

Bitdefender stressed the gamer "will NOT receive a free CS key," although the scam is likely to pay off, with many excited gamers throwing caution to the wind.

 

"Around the time of the launch fans are too excited to give a second thought to the unusual demands of ill-intended people. In the heat of the moment, they tend to be less attentive and give up information that in any other circumstance they would be reluctant to share," it said.

 

Some gamers were promised a CS:GO registration key, in exchange for clicking on a button that will take them to a designated survey webpage, Bitdefender said.

 

Others were asked access a commercial site where they end up releasing private information, it added.

 

The personal data may include name, address, telephone number, and e-mail and phone provider.

 

"The personal data might also land into a profile database to be used in other scams or in phishing attacks when another longed-for game, movie, product or service is on the verge of being launched in some regions but not yet in others," Bitdefender warned.

 

It also noted Ip-to-location is likely used in this scam to personalize the greeting message, and make it more credible as it reaches people in their own language. — TJD, GMA News