Yikes, hackers are hiding malware inside a fake Pokémon NFT card game
Pokémon Card Game isn’t a real PC game, just a clever trap by hackers.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Pokémon Card Game—not to be confused with the Pokémon Trading Card Game—isn’t a real game. It’s malware disguised as a PokémonNFTgame that’s designed to fool unsuspecting Pocket Monster fans into clicking on a compromising link. This malicious Fakémon installs remote control software on infected computers, which hackers can then use to access private user data and make your PC susceptible to more malicious attacks.
According to cybersecurity analysts atASEC, viableepingcomputer, hackers went as far as creating a pretty convincing fake website for their fake game and even a fake marketplace where you can claim and mint Pokémon Card NFTs. The fake site offers no real Pokémon NFTs, however, just headaches.
Clicking on the “Play on PC” button on the website (which we won’t link for obvious reasons) downloads an installer that, instead of installing a game, buries a tool called NetSupport Manager deep into your files. This essentially opens a back door into your PC.
To make matters worse, the malicious download has an official-looking Pokémon icon and file information, which would make it easy to convince someone who just downloaded the file, especially a young user, to open it. At the time of this post, the fake website for the Pokémon Card Game is still live.
This scam is convincing because a Pokémon NFT card game sounds like something thatcouldbe a real thing, given the popularity of Pokémon and NFTs. Nintendo expressed tepid interest inNFTs and the metaverseduring a Q&A last year and hasn’t announced any NFT games, but a good fake could still fool someone who doesn’t keep up with the news.
Hackers will always try to find creative ways to get you to click on a bad link. Whether it’s a convincing pop-up ad or astrange email threadyou’ve been CC’d on, play it safe and don’t click on anything. Exceptthis link. That one’s totally safe.
Best SSD for gaming: The best solid state drives aroundBest PCIe 4.0 SSD for gaming: Speedy drivesThe best NVMe SSD: Slivers of SSD goodnessBest external hard drives: Expand your horizonsBest external SSDs: Fast, solid, and portable
The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Jorge is a hardware writer from the enchanted lands of New Jersey. When he’s not filling the office with the smell of Pop-Tarts, he’s reviewing all sorts of gaming hardware, from laptops with the latest mobile GPUs to gaming chairs with built-in back massagers. He’s been covering games and tech for over ten years and has written for Dualshockers, WCCFtech, Tom’s Guide, and a bunch of other places on the world wide web.
Forcing users to periodically change their passwords should go the way of the dodo according to the US government
Major browser providers scramble to patch an 18-year-old vulnerability affecting MacOS and Linux systems but Windows remains gloriously immune
Australia proposes social media ban for everyone under the age of 16, citing concerns about young people’s mental wellbeing
