FBI arrests Florida student over $220,000 Steam malware scheme
Federal agents traced stolen cryptocurrency to UberEats gift cards delivered to the suspect’s residence, leading to the seizure of electronic devices and charges against the 21-year-old and unnamed co-conspirators.
US prosecutors have charged 21-year-old Florida student Zyaire Wilkins with conspiracy to obtain information by computer for private financial gain, following an investigation into a scheme that distributed malware-embedded video games on the Steam platform. Federal authorities allege that Wilkins and unnamed co-conspirators published fake titles designed to infect users’ computers, steal passwords, and drain cryptocurrency wallets.
According to a criminal complaint, the scheme operated over the past two years, resulting in the infection of approximately 8,000 victims. Investigators allege that the malware drained at least $220,000 in cryptocurrency from 80 wallets. The specific games cited in the complaint include BlockBlasters, Dashverse, Lampy, Lunara, and PirateFi, all of which were designed to appear legitimate to players upon installation.
Wilkins and his associates marketed the malicious software via Discord, LinkedIn, and Telegram. Federal agents identified a specific cryptocurrency wallet linked to the operation and traced payments made from that account to purchase gift cards for UberEats. Subpoenas issued to Uber revealed that the gift cards were linked to an account making deliveries to Wilkins’ residence, where he used the online alias Sibel.eth.
The arrest follows a broader investigation announced by the FBI in March, which called for victims to come forward. Steam’s parent company, Valve, has previously removed several games from its platform after they were found to contain malware, including PirateFi and BlockBlasters, the latter of which had reportedly stolen more than $150,000 in previous incidents.
Following the identification of Wilkins through cryptocurrency transaction data, federal agents executed a search warrant at his home, seizing a MacBook, cellphones, and other devices. An unnamed individual involved in the scheme reportedly told investigators they worked with others to raise marketing funds in exchange for a share of the stolen cryptocurrency. Wilkins refused to speak or answer questions during the investigation.
