The Twitch Channel That Almost Fooled Us All
In the gaming world, there are few things more thrilling than the promise of a new Grand Theft Auto installment. As GTA 5 inches closer to its decennial, gamers are on pins and needles, inspecting Rockstar Games’ social media for any crumb of an update on GTA 6. So, imagine the collective gasp when a Twitch channel sporting the iconic Rockstar logo claimed to offer beta access codes for GTA 6.
“It was a phishing stream, they were offering access to the GTA 6 beta but it was to steal Steam accounts,” revealed a viewer who was duped by the sham.
Fake Rockstar, Real Scam
The Twitch channel dubbed itself as NewsRockstar and went live with a stream titled “GTA6 OUT NOW! [BETA] – Early Access Beta Test – Twitch and Steam Exclusive.” It was too good to be true, and unfortunately, it was.
“The stream peaked at over 20K viewers, where it could be seen calling itself NewsRockstar complete with the iconic Rockstar logo,” according to StreamCharts.
This bait-and-switch wasn’t just some kid messing around. It was a calculated deception, as the channel had been originally created in 2013 and even sported a verification badge, making it seem as authentic as possible.
Sniffing Out the Phish
The strategy was all about speed and credibility. “This allowed the channel to broadcast with a verification badge and had been clearly done on purpose to seem as legitimate as possible and to bring in a high amount of viewers in quick succession,” said the source close to the situation.
The scam channel tricked viewers into clicking a link that would purportedly give them beta access to GTA 6 but instead was a trap designed to hijack their Steam accounts. The phishing scheme had the potential to compromise personal and even banking details.
The Ban Hammer Comes Down
The channel’s luck ran out when it was abruptly shut down after a broadcast lasting over five hours. “It was broadcasting for over five hours before it ultimately was shut down and later banned, as confirmed by StreamerBans,” according to reliable sources.
Rockstar Games has not yet offered any comment on this incident, keeping its cards close to its chest about GTA 6 as always. Meanwhile, the gaming community has been served a vital lesson: When it comes to Grand Theft Auto, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
❌ Twitch Partner “NewsRockstar” has been banned! ❌https://t.co/5QSZ3DDukY#twitch #ban #firstban #partner #twitchpartner 📣
— StreamerBans (@StreamerBans) October 13, 2023
The Ongoing Mystery of GTA 6
While the bogus channel has been put to rest, the real mystery of GTA 6 continues to grip the gaming community. Leakers and analysts are hard at work, trying to decode every scrap of information available. Yet, Rockstar Games remains tight-lipped, leaving fans to stew in their anticipation. Will the game ever come out? Only time will tell.
So, the next time you spot a channel or a leak promising GTA 6 details, take it with a grain of salt. As the events surrounding this Twitch scam have shown, it’s a world ripe for exploitation.
Remember, in the high-stakes game of leaked gaming info, it’s always better to play it safe. After all, you never know when a fake Rockstar will try to steal your spotlight.
