The scammers need only drop terms like APK, which is the standard Android file extension for applications, and they've bagged the victims. Many unsuspecting would-be victims are convinced by so much as a semblance of professionalism. If you see an offer for a mobile version or for Android, then the download will straddle you with more malware than a spam email about hot singles in your area. The official platforms the game is available for are the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC. Obviously, the first key to avoiding scams is not trusting any download sites which offer the game for platforms that GTA 5 hasn't actually been released on. Of course, those of us who are more familiar with the pitfalls of the internet would call them for what they are, but we're not the intended victims in the first place. Many of these websites offering free downloads of GTA 5, either for your PC, Android or iOS, the latter two being platforms on which the game has never been released for obvious reasons, are made to fool people who aren't tech-savvy enough to know not to trust sites like that anyway. When kids see or hear about GTA 5 from their friends, obviously they become interested, and you can hardly expect a ten-year-old to do enough research into a game so as to learn exactly what platforms it's available on, before being enticed by a flashing download button on a (comparatively) well-disguised scam site.

In spite of the game's restricted age rating, GTA 5 has become increasingly popular among younger players. Scam site offering 'mobile versions' of GTA 5Ĭhildren, primarily, are easy targets here. Scammers took advantage of this and churned out as many fake sites as possible to cash in on the fame. With popularity, GTA 5 related search terms began scoring really well and hordes of new players swarmed. The immense popularity of GTA 5, and the hype leading up to the game's release, resulted in these scams not only being more common but also more successful.

The side effect of such a wide reach in terms of customers is that, inevitably, people who aren't as well-versed in the pitfalls of the internet have their interest piqued, and are at greater risk. The game has become highly popular among mainstream audiences and is attracting new players by the droves. The reason this trap works so well is rooted in the success of GTA Online.

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