Fake 'GTA 5' Torrent Spreads Trojan Virus Using Text Messages

Fishing around for a leaked version of "GTA 5"? You might want to stop your search. Apparently, someone created a "Grand Theft Auto 5" torrent stuffed with a trojan virus.

This particular torrent fools would-be pirates into thinking they can get a PC version of "GTA 5" for free. It's worth noting that a PC version of "GTA 5" is likely to be released at some point, but it has yet to be officially announced.

The torrent actually contains a copy of another game: "The Cave." If the user who downloaded the torrent attempts to install the game, they'll be presented with a survey and asked to send a text message to get a working serial key, which never comes. After the text message is sent, the owner of the infected device is then charged one euro per day. What's more, this particular Trojan virus can steal your data and turn your device into a botnet, which can be used for all sorts of malicious purposes by hackers.

At this point, the euro to U.S. dollar conversion rate is $1.32. That doesn't sound like much, but it adds up. Multiply that daily sum by 30 days and you'll be racking up a monthly bill of nearly $40. Annually, you'd be paying roughly $475 for nothing. Ouch.

The lesson? Don't use torrents. You could get more than you bargained for. In this case, it's simply cheaper to wait for the official "GTA 5" for PC release. If you balk at the prospect of paying $45 to $60 for a brand new PC game, just think of it this way: $60 is a lot less than $40 per month.

"GTA 5" will be released on Sept. 17 for Xbox 360 and PS3.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments below. This story was initially reported by PCGmedia.