Thousands of PC gamers have reportedly downloaded a huge file purporting to be a playable version of GTA 5 - only to find themselves exposed to dozens of viruses.
The latest Grand Theft Auto has not been released for the PC - and developers Rockstar have given no indication of when, or if, it ever will.
But gamers hungry to play the title on their desktop machines are apparently read to jump the gun - with devastating results.
WCCFTech reports that several of its readers (and thousands of other gamers) have already been duped by a Torrent file promising a full version of the modern classic crime simulator.
The 18GB file - which appears near to the top of Google for terms as simple as "GTA 5 PC download" - comes with a realistic-looking installer, but does nothing positive to your machine.
After downloading the "setup.exe" file sets about installing a barrage of malware and spyware which could have untold consequences on your machine.
Enthusiasm for the PC version is undimmed, however - more than 613,000 people have signed a petition calling for Rockstar to release the game.
The petition says:
"Please release GTA V on PC. GTA games have been a large part of so many people's lives and it's a big shame not seeing the newest iteration of the game being released on the most powerful platform. Things like modifications have always been a HUGE part of PC gaming and modded GTA is some of the most insanely fun times you can have."