UBER EATS GIFT CARDS ALLEGEDLY EXPOSED $220K CRYPTO THEFT
A 21-year-old Florida man was arrested on July 14, 2026, over an alleged scheme that used malware-loaded games to drain at least $220,000 in cryptocurrency from people’s wallets. Federal investigators allege they tracked Zyaire Dontaevious Zamarion Wilkins, of North Lauderdale, through roughly 150 Uber Eats gift cards bought with the stolen money.
Wilkins was charged with conspiracy to obtain information by computer for private financial gain, GameSpot reported. The complaint alleges he worked with others who were not named, and that the operation ran from May 2024 through February 2026.
Infected games, allegedly promoted online
According to the complaint, the group promoted malware-laced games on Discord, LinkedIn, Telegram and X. Prosecutors allege the games infected about 8,000 devices, harvesting private data and login credentials that could unlock crypto wallets. They say at least 80 wallets were compromised.
BlockBlasters, Dashverse, Lunara and PirateFi were among the games named. Moneywise reported the list also included Chemia, DashFPS, Lampy and Tokenova, and that BlockBlasters was linked to stolen cryptocurrency, including funds belonging to a streamer who was raising money for cancer treatment.
The complaint did not name the platform where the games appeared. GameSpot reported Steam was believed to be the one, since the titles launched there.
The trail ran through dinner
Investigators said they found Wilkins through a handle, “Sibel.eth.” The complaint describes Signal messages between that handle and “an unidentified primary developer” about running “draining campaigns.”
GameSpot, citing a Decrypt report on the 15-page complaint that WPLG Local 10 covered first, said Wilkins allegedly bought a “remote access trojan” for $10,000 that emptied wallets instantly. He then allegedly used the proceeds to buy about 150 gift cards, mostly for Uber Eats.
That turned out to be a very traceable way to order food. Investigators said they followed the Bitcoin transactions, and later coverage said a wallet was linked to Bitrefill, a service that sells gift cards for crypto. A subpoena to Uber then reportedly tied the cards to an account that made deliveries to Wilkins’s North Lauderdale home and to University of West Florida addresses.
PCMag reported that federal agents searched the home on July 8, 2026, and seized an Apple MacBook and an Apple account that investigators linked to the activity. GameSpot reported that Wilkins was uncooperative during the search and that several devices were taken. A review of his crypto history reportedly showed roughly $382,000 moving in and out.
Where the case stands
Wilkins was scheduled to appear in federal court in Fort Lauderdale on July 15, 2026. Later reporting placed the case in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, and GameSpot said he would be transferred to Washington to face the charge.
Dexerto reported that the FBI asked anyone affected by the Steam malware investigation to come forward.
If convicted, Wilkins could face up to 10 years in prison. The charge is an allegation, and no conviction or sentence has been reported.
