PT4 Users Beware of Your Credit Card Info
Recent purchasers of the poker tracking software PokerTracker 4 are in danger of having their credit card information stolen by hackers!
On the MalwareBytes forums, a website for a popular anti-virus program, a user posted a screenshot of a warning window popping up when they were opening up PT4.
The researchers at MalwareBytes investigated the issue and determined that hackers did in fact compromise the poker software. The perpetrators were people of the credit card fraud operation Magecart.
Who Are the PokerTracker Hackers?
“Magecart” is a loose affiliation between at least 6 different hacker groups. They have been cooperating to commit credit card frauds since 2014.
In the past, they have hit many major corporations with attacks. Their targets included British Airways, Ticketmaster and the consumer electronics giant Newegg.
Their latest target was PokerTracker 4. The first mentions of the attack occurred on the MalwareBytes forums on August 8th.
PokerTracker Owner Responds to Hacker Attacks
According to an article on flushdraw.net, PokerTracker owner Derek Charles believes that the number of the affected users is in the low thousands.
PokerTracker Exec Confirms Credit-Card Hack Occurred at Start of 2019https://t.co/HYaZ1Jjq96
— Flushdraw (@FlushdrawPoker) August 27, 2019
He also claims that the attack could happen due to the shortcomings of the free and open-source content manager system Drupal – the one that the PokerTracker website uses. Charles said that they stopped using the software as soon as they learned of the hackers’ actions.
Derek Charles ended his official response with this:
“We have no reason to believe that your PokerTracker.com username or password were intercepted; however, to be abundantly cautious we recommend changing your password.”
Allarmingly, he also said that their internal investigation revealed that the strikes took place between December 23, 2018 and January 2, 2019. That means they were going unnoticed for over 8 months.
That 8-month window can be troublesome. That is because most credit card companies allow their costumers to appeal on any fraudulent activities within 120 days.
Previous Hacker Attacks on the Poker World
This isn’t the first time bad actors target major poker companies with cyber attacks.
Almost exactly a year ago, in August 2018, hackers targeted PokerStars and partypoker with so-called “DDoS attacks” within a few weeks.
Due to the DDoS attacks + measures taken to prevent the widespread login issues seen over the last 48 hours, a small number of players may continue to experience login issues. If you are experiencing connection issues please contact customer services who can assist pic.twitter.com/RnjhTzGaLe
— partypoker (@partypoker) August 11, 2018
A DDoS attack is when hackers artificially increase the traffic on a server so much that it shuts down. The criminals demanded a ransom from the three major poker sites.
As of now, it is unknown whether authorities caught those perpetrators, or they received their ransom. We’re all hoping for the former option.
Earn up to 60% cashback when signing up through us at partypoker!
When signing up through VIP-Grinders.com on partypoker, you can now earn up to 60% cashback on partypoker plus take part in the following exclusive VIP-Grinders Promotions with massive extra value:
- $30 Welcome Bonus in SPINS Tickets
- Up to 60% Cashback via the Diamond Elite Club
- 4 x $250 Private Poker Freeroll per month
- Exclusive Party & Bwin Chase
Terms and conditions apply. New customer offer and 18+ only. Should you require help regarding your betting pattern, please visit www.begambleaware.org.
