Steam Users Warned After Downloading Malware-Laden Game PirateFi

A free-to-play game on Steam called PirateFi has been found to carry malware that can steal your online information. The game, which was released on February 8, 2025, was flagged by users and antivirus software as dangerous, triggering a warning from Steam itself.

The malware,  once installed, targets users’ browser cookies, allowing the hacker behind PirateFi to hijack online accounts, as first reported by PCMag.

This means your social media, email, and even banking accounts could be at risk. Steam has advised affected users to run antivirus scans and check their computers for unfamiliar software.

A game called PirateFi released on Steam last week and it contained malware. Valve have removed the game two days ago.

Users that played the game have received the following email: pic.twitter.com/B98BFs0WbK

— SteamDB (@SteamDB) February 12, 2025

One user, who tried to run PirateFi, said their antivirus flagged the game as a Trojan virus, specifically “Trojan.Win32.Lazzzy.gen.”

The malware downloads itself onto the computer and hides in a folder under the name Howard.exe. From there, it starts stealing browser cookies, giving the hacker access to various accounts, as reported by PCMag.

The damage doesn’t stop there. Several users who downloaded PirateFi reported that their accounts were hijacked.

One user mentioned that their Microsoft account was stolen, while another saw $20 taken from their Roblox account and scam messages sent to friends. Even Steam points were stolen and used to buy awards for fake bot accounts.

The game has been circulating in various ways, including through a job offer posted in a Telegram chat, claiming to pay $17 an hour for an in-game chat moderator position. A PCMag reader investigated and discovered the job offer was a trick to get users to download PirateFi onto their computers.

Users have also noticed that the screenshots for PirateFi on Steam seem to be copied from another game, raising further suspicions about the game’s legitimacy.

Steam has urged users to reinstall Windows to ensure the malware is fully removed, as it may be difficult to completely clean your system otherwise. According to SteamDB, PirateFi may have been downloaded by over 800 users.

Valve, Steam’s parent company, has not yet commented on how the malware-ridden game made it onto their platform.