Pokemon digital token game spreads viruses

South Korean cybersecurity company AhnLab warns users about a phishing site that offers to download a card game with NFT tokens under the Pokémon brand. In fact, the resource distributes malware. The malicious site offers its own NFT marketplace and encourages betting with digital tokens, all based on the popular Japanese media franchise.

Gamers who used the phishing site downloaded a remote PC access tool instead of playing the game. This allowed hackers to gain remote control over the victims' gadgets.

AhnLab emphasized that the NetSupport Manager utility allows attackers to remotely control a computer’s mouse and keyboard, check system file management, browser history, and even install more malware. Gamers and fans of the Pokémon franchise were asked to use only official resources and report suspicious software from third-party sites.

Since the creation of the Pokémon brand, the fictional character has not ceased to be popular — many users still want to get their own fairy-tale creature, and many entrepreneurs are speculating on the brand name. At the end of December, it became known that the developers of the NFT Pokémon game PokeWorld were sued for the illegal use of Pokémon in the project. The management of The Pokemon Company (TPC) might not have learned about the piracy if the attackers had not exposed themselves through a press release.

Developer Justin Pinckney went even further and created an artificial intelligence model that creates Pokémon that look like humans — the user just needs to describe the desired character in detail and the algorithm will create a Pokémon copy.