Symantec revealed that scammers are using fake Nintendo Switch emulators to distribute potentially harmful software.
The “emulators” promise to let desperate gamers experience The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and other Switch games without having to purchase the new console. Frustrated shoppers might be tempted by that prospect–retailers have struggled to keep the Switch in stock. Now scammers are offering to ease the pain of missing out on the Switch hype while actually spreading unwanted software. (A bait-and-Switch, if you will.)
These emulators spread via YouTube videos that “contain a step-by-step process showing how to visit a website, download a file, and play Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on a PC,” according to Symantec, which said many of the videos link to external sites in their descriptions. Many of those sites asked visitors to take surveys in exchange for the promised emulator, while others just let you download the disguised software.
Here’s what Symantec said in a blog post about the software you’ll actually install if you fall for these Switch promises:
Outside of the surveys, we found a YouTube video that didn’t lead to a survey, but instead resulted in software downloads for ‘Switch_Emulator_0.6.1.dmg’ on Mac and ‘Switch_Emulator_061.iso’ on Windows. We detect the Mac installer as OSX.Malcol and the Windows installer as PUA.Downloader, which will download a potentially unwanted application called PUA.OneSystemCare.
Chances are good that any “Nintendo Switch emulator” you find is a scam. Finding ways to emulate console hardware in software, and doing so in ways that games made for that hardware recognize, is a long process. Consider Dolphin–the multi-platform GameCube and Wii emulator is constantly updated with better compatibility for specific games, new features, or improved stability, and those consoles are both more than a decade old.
We aren’t going to see a Switch emulator for a while. Even when one is made, Symantec offered some good advice to help determine whether you’re being scammed or downloading the real deal:
If you’re looking to play emulated games on your personal computer, be wary of websites that ask you to fill out a survey to unlock content—that’s a big red flag that you’re being scammed. Do some additional research before you download and install any application on your computer. And if you really want to play games for the Nintendo Switch, consider buying one instead.
If you’re curious about the Switch itself, you can learn more in our hands-on with the hybrid game console or check out its official specs. You might not be able to buy the console right away, but at least you won’t have to worry about scams like this, or downloading more dangerous malware once attackers realize how many people are frothing at the mouth to get their hands on some of that sweet, sweet Breath of the Wild action.
The post Fake Nintendo Switch Emulators Distribute Potentially Harmful Software appeared first on Gigarefurb Refurbished Laptops News.
source https://news.gigarefurb.co.uk/fake-nintendo-switch-emulators-distribute-potentially-harmful-software/
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