There's no GTA 6 for PC: the fake downloads stealing passwords and Steam logins, and the other scams to watch for

Grand Theft Auto VI comes out on Nov. 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and Rockstar hasn't announced a PC version. So anything offering a "GTA 6 PC download" is something else, and security researchers have now shown what.

Cynet, a security company, followed a link promising a "GTA 6 EXE file download" from a Google Colab notebook, Google's tool for sharing code, to a page called Windows Software Hub. The page showed a download count and "Virus Free," "Secure" and "Verified" badges. The ZIP file it served held a small program and a README telling you to run it as administrator, click past the security warning and add an exception to your antivirus if it gets blocked.

The program isn't a game at all, Cynet found: it has no game engine and no game files. It's WARDEN Stealer, malware that takes saved passwords, browser cookies, Steam and Roblox logins and cryptocurrency wallet data, swaps any crypto address you copy for the attacker's, and can download more malware.

Not the only one

ESET, another security company, rounded up the GTA 6 scams it and others have tracked, on Nov. 13:

• Fake demos. In August, Malwarebytes found sites copying Rockstar's promotion for An Extended Look with a "Play Now" button that downloaded an infostealer called Vidar instead.
• "Leaked" builds. One disc image passed off as GTA 6 held remote-access trojans, which let someone else control your computer, plus ransomware.
• Fake betas and early access. One site sold "early access" for $250, payable only in cryptocurrency, Malwarebytes found. Another offered an Android "beta"; there's no mobile version either.
• Fake logins and stores. Copies of Rockstar, PlayStation, Xbox and Steam sign-in pages, and cloned shops selling cheap copies, keys or editions that don't exist.

ESET expects two more lures before and after launch: messages claiming your pre-load failed or your pre-order was canceled, linking to a fake sign-in page, and too-good-to-be-true Black Friday deals on Nov. 27. If you get a message about your pre-order, open the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store or Rockstar Store yourself and check there instead of following the link.

How to stay safe

• Buy only from official stores or established retailers: the PlayStation Store, the Microsoft Store, the Rockstar Store or a shop you know.
• Treat any PC, mobile, beta, demo or early-access offer as a scam. None of them exist. The only way to play before the US is to be in a country where it unlocks earlier.
• Never switch off your antivirus for a download. A file that asks you to is telling you what it is.
• Pay with a card that has buyer protection, not cryptocurrency or gift cards, which you can't get back.
• If you ran something, act fast. From a clean device, change your passwords and sign out of every active session, since stolen cookies can outlast a password change, ESET says, and call your bank if you shared card details.

Rockstar hasn't said whether a PC version will ever come; our PC guide tracks what it and Take-Two have said. Until then, the real thing is on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S from Nov. 19, and our 10 things to do before launch cover getting it ready.