One of this console generation’s surprise hits, Helldivers 2 has racked up approximately 3 million sales after making its PlayStation and PC debut at the start of February. While it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the game since launch, fans have largely enjoyed the relentless, over-the-top shooting action – or at least when the servers have been online. Unfortunately, however, it looks like Helldivers 2 may be a victim of its own success, as scammers use the game to target unsuspecting customers on PC.
Indeed, as spotted by industry insider Wario64, two false Helldivers 2 listings recently appeared on Steam.
Customers searching for Helldivers 2 on the PC storefront were greeted by two fake versions of the game, which were being sold at massively discounted prices.
One version of Helldivers 2 was listed for $19.99, while another was advertised for just $12.49 – that’s less than £10 for a game that’s only been out a month.
It turns out the two discounted versions were actually a couple of indie games that had been renamed and re-listed using the back-end Steam database.
The scammers had changed the details to match those of Helldivers 2, switching the names, descriptions, publishing info, developer listings and even screenshots.
While the fake listings have since been removed, it’s worth remembering that if something looks like it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.
It’s also hugely concerning that an unscrupulous individual was able to make such radical changes in the first place.
If you are ever unsure about the authenticity of a Steam listing, then it’s worth looking at the number of user reviews and what recent customers have been saying.
A popular game like Helldivers 2 will have thousands of reviews, while the fake version will barely have any. Recent reviews are also likely to point out whether it’s a scam or not, so it’s probably worth reading a few.
Of course, this isn’t something that seems to happen too often on Steam, so there’s no need to worry too much.
Still, if you do purchase something that was falsely advertised, then contact Steam Support via the official website.
