14 DAY TRIAL // Half-Life fans are anxiously hoping that Valve will announce Half-Life 3. In the meantime, the rumors and speculation are being exploited by cybercriminals and scammers.
ThreatTrack Security experts have come across several fake Half-Life 3 websites. One of them is store(dot)stearnpowered(dot)com (a combination between an “r” and an “n” are used instead of “m”), which claims that the game will be launched in the fall of 2013.
The site mimics the genuine Steam store to make everything more legitimate-looking.
Other shady websites take it even further, promising giveaways and access to beta versions of Half-Life 3.
For instance, halflife3beta(dot)org promises a “closed beta” of the game. Halflife3beta(dot)com and Halflife3beta(dot)net trick users into taking part in a survey by claiming that they can download a leaked setup file of the alpha version of Half-Life 3.
Beware of such sites. Until Valve makes an official announcement, all Half-Life 3 websites should be considered scams.