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Cyber criminals are exploiting the hype surrounding Grand Theft Auto VI by targeting people hoping to get early access to the video game, security researchers have warned.
The release date for GTA 6 is 19 November 2026, though the game’s developer, Rockstar Games, opened pre-orders on 25 June.
The highly-anticipated sequel to GTA V was originally scheduled for launch in 2025, though delays have pushed it back by a year.
Scammers are now preying on people’s frustrations and confusion surrounding the launch date by offering fake early access to GTA 6.
“One certainty is that all major world events are always accompanied by scams,” Cristian Silviu, a cyber security specialist at Bitdefender, told The Independent.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a humanitarian disaster, the World Cup, or the launch of a popular game. And since GTA VI is likely one of the most anticipated games in history, we expect to see scams that are directly proportional to people’s interest in it.”
One popular scam involves malicious links posted to social media or sent via email. They promote ‘creator preview’ or ‘early console testing’ invitations, however the links lead to phishing pages asking users to log in with their Rockstar, Playstation, Xbox, Steam or Google accounts.
By logging in through these fake pages, scammers gain access to a user’s private account. Other links may contain malware that give hackers remote access to a user’s device.
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Criminals have also been using artificial intelligence to create scam websites promising early access to the game, cyber security firm Malwarebytes warned.
The fake websites use AI-generated images of the game to trick people into making cryptocurrency payments in order to download the game.
Researchers at Malwarebytes described GTA 6 as the “perfect bait” for scammers due to the anticipation surrounding the game.
“To understand why these scams are appearing now, you need to understand how enormous GTA is,” said malware tester Stefan Dasic.
“Grand Theft Auto is one of the most successful gaming franchises ever created. GTA 5 launched in September 2013… That’s a 13-year gap between releases.
“Add multiple delays and years of speculation, and you’ve got millions of fans eagerly looking for any news, leaks, previews, or chance to get early access. Scammers simply exploit that excitement.”
Security researchers advise people to be weary of online ads or social media posts claiming to offer early access, and to only pre-order GTA 6 through official channels.