In an extraordinary display of digital detective work, an online community successfully unmasked cybercriminals who targeted a cancer patient through malicious gaming software, proving that sometimes the internet can be a force for justice.
The case began when Rostand, a man battling stage 4 cancer, was live-streaming to raise money for his life-saving treatment. During his stream, someone convinced him to download what appeared to be an innocent game called “Block Blasters” from Steam. Within moments of installation, malware disguised as the game drained his entire cryptocurrency wallet, stealing approximately $32,000 meant for his cancer treatment.
According to sources, the game appeared legitimate, complete with hundreds of fake positive reviews that fooled unsuspecting users. Steam’s platform is generally considered safe for gaming downloads. What made this theft particularly heinous was the deliberate targeting of someone fighting for their life.
However, the crypto community’s response was swift and relentless. Overnight, internet sleuths launched what can only be described as a digital manhunt. Working collaboratively across platforms, they methodically pieced together evidence proving the game’s malicious nature while simultaneously tracking down those responsible.
Their investigation revealed the scope was far larger than initially thought. The criminals had victimized 97 people through Block Blasters, despite the game having only 6,400 downloads and peaking at just eight concurrent players on Steam. The community uncovered the malware’s technical details, including batch-based stealers, backdoor installations, and various malicious scripts hidden within the game’s code.
The breakthrough came when investigators discovered the stolen data was being sent to a Telegram channel hard-coded into the malware. By accessing this channel using the same credentials embedded in the malicious code, they identified the scammers’ Telegram IDs. Cross-referencing this information with public chat rooms and Steam profiles, they successfully unmasked the perpetrators.
The main suspect identified was an individual named Valentine, who had been flaunting expensive purchases on social media, apparently funded by his criminal activities. Investigators found evidence of the criminals discussing their crimes with shocking callousness, including dismissive comments about Rostand’s cancer diagnosis and their theft of his treatment funds.
The community even uncovered evidence that this wasn’t an isolated incident. Similar malware-infected games like “Pirate Fi” and “Kima” had previously appeared on Steam, suggesting a growing trend of gaming platforms being exploited for cryptocurrency theft.
In a heartwarming turn of events, Alex Becker stepped forward to reimburse Rostand the full $32,000 stolen from him. However, the community didn’t stop there. All evidence collected during their investigation was turned over to authorities, creating the possibility of real legal consequences for the perpetrators.