U.S. prosecutors have charged a 21-year-old Florida man over an alleged scheme that distributed malware through games available on Steam, allowing hackers to steal personal data and cryptocurrency. The campaign allegedly infected about 8,000 devices and compromised around 80 cryptocurrency wallets.
FBI agents arrested Zyaire Wilkins on Tuesday. A criminal complaint filed the following day accuses Wilkins and unnamed co-conspirators of publishing eight malware-embedded games between May 2024 and February 2026.
The games identified by investigators include BlockBlasters, Chemia, Dashverse, DashFPS, Lampy, Lunara, PirateFi and Tokenova. Prosecutors allege that the scheme resulted in the theft of at least $220,000 in cryptocurrency.
Games Functioned While Installing Malware
The games were designed to appear legitimate and could be installed and played by victims. However, they also contained malware capable of stealing passwords, personal information and credentials used to access cryptocurrency wallets.
The defendants allegedly promoted the games through Discord, Telegram, LinkedIn and X to encourage downloads. Valve, which operates Steam, removed several of the titles after they were identified as potentially malicious.
In March, the FBI asked potential victims to come forward, saying the malicious games had targeted users between May 2024 and January 2026. The bureau requested information from anyone who downloaded the identified titles or experienced related financial losses.
PirateFi was among several games removed from the platform last year after researchers found malware inside the downloadable files. Steam’s developer system allows third-party studios to publish games, although submissions are subject to review and security checks.
Gift Card Purchases Helped Identify Suspect
Investigators identified a cryptocurrency account allegedly connected to the scheme and traced payments made through it. The wallet had been used to purchase more than 150 digital gift cards through Bitrefill, including cards for Uber Eats.
After obtaining information from Uber, investigators linked deliveries made using the gift cards to Wilkins’ phone number and address, according to the complaint. Authorities said Wilkins used the online name “Sibel.eth.”
Federal agents later searched his residence and seized a MacBook, mobile phones, digital wallets and other electronic devices. The complaint says Wilkins declined to answer investigators’ questions.
Another unidentified participant allegedly told investigators that members of the group raised money to develop and promote the malicious games in exchange for shares of the stolen cryptocurrency.
Wilkins is charged with conspiracy to obtain information from protected computers for private financial gain. The allegations remain unproven, and his lawyer had not publicly responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting.
The case shows how attackers can use apparently functional games to distribute credential-stealing malware. Players who downloaded any of the named titles should change exposed passwords, review cryptocurrency accounts and provide relevant information through the FBI’s official reporting form.
Featured image credits: Dear Players
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