EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Recently, a group of tech-savvy Call of Duty players masterminded a scheme that let them steal at least $3.3 million in cryptocurrency.

A simulated war game, Call of Duty gives players the ability to communicate in real-time with a relative amount of privacy. If you combine that ability with the malicious intents of cybercriminals who play the game, it’s easy to see the potential for things to get ugly.

As Chicago Sun-Times reports, the story begins in Bloomingdale, Illinois, where a local man says he met members of the hacking group while playing Call of Duty. The ring coerced the Bloomington man into joining the group by “swatting” him – a term for making a false report about a violent crime at a person’s house, which results in a SWAT team surrounding the target’s home.

According to the FBI, the man complied with the group’s requests. He helped the group take over the phones of more than 100 people, which let them hack into victims’ cryptocurrency accounts and steal their funds. The thieves are suspected of stealing at least $3.3 million in various cryptocurrencies.

Earlier this year, Cyber Talk reported on how the same Call of Duty triggered a “swatting” event which resulted in a fatality. While the consequences of this recent incident were nowhere near as severe, it still spells trouble.

As the ramifications of cyber criminals continue to have real-world effects, these stories highlight a need for stricter cybersecurity measures in the virtual realm.

Get the full story at Chicago Sun-Times.