FBI names suspect in the Steam crypto-malware case — and reveals bots hunted down victims

New filings in the case over cryptocurrency stolen through malware-infected games on Steam reveal the accused's identity and details of exactly how the attackers selected their victims.

Who's Been Charged

The accused is 21-year-old Zyaire Dontaevious Zamarion Wilkins of North Lauderdale, Florida, who allegedly operated under the alias "Sibel.eth." He has been charged with conspiracy to unlawfully acquire information for personal financial gain. If convicted, he faces up to ten years in prison.

A Fifth Infected Game

Earlier reports named four infected games — BlockBlasters, Dashverse, Lunara, and PirateFi. Updated case filings name a fifth title as well: Lampy, which also reportedly contained malicious code. According to investigators, the operation ran from May 2024 to February 2026.

How Victims Were Actually Selected

The new detail in the case is how the group promoted the infected games and chose who to target. According to the FBI, the group advertised the games on Discord, Telegram, X, and LinkedIn, and used bots to identify users with large cryptocurrency holdings before sending them personalized messages encouraging them to install the game. In other words, victims weren't chosen at random — they were pre-screened by wallet size.

How the Investigation Traced the Suspect

The FBI first publicly disclosed the investigation back in March 2026, asking victims of the malicious Steam titles to come forward. The trail eventually led to Wilkins through a complex chain of bitcoin transactions tied to roughly 150 Uber Eats gift cards sent to addresses linked to him — including one connected to the University of West Florida.

Why It Matters

The newly disclosed details show the attack wasn't opportunistic but targeted: the attackers first used bots to identify users with notable crypto holdings, then specifically offered them the infected game — making schemes like this noticeably more dangerous than random malware distribution. The case is also a reminder that even small digital traces, like food-delivery gift cards, can become decisive evidence in crypto crime investigations.

This material is for informational purposes only and is not investment advice.