12/06/2026
Neighbourhood Watch have released a recent Scam Alert.
Those who use Minecraft need to keep alert for potential malware scams.
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"With millions of users worldwide, Minecraft is a popular video game in which players build virtual worlds. It has a huge following and is particularly popular with children.
Scammers have previously targeted Minecraft fans, and now cybersecurity firm McAfee has warned that it has found 240 scam websites responsible for distributing malware.
In this particular case, the malware has been found promoted in links from Minecraft gaming videos on YouTube.
If malware is installed on your device, fraudsters may be able to use it to steal passwords and access accounts, files or even your device's we**am. McAfee has warned that, in some cases, fraudsters have used the malware to harass and cyberbully victims.
Fraudsters were found to be building polished and 'well-edited' videos with 'background music' to encourage views. One video McAfee found had more than 7,500 views. Some comments beneath the videos also claimed the files being promoted were safe to download.
Since January, McAfee has seen 116,000 victim infections linked to this scam, with an average of 2,000-3,000 new incidents a day."
Here is their advice:
"If you or someone you know becomes a victim of this scam, it’s important not to engage with the fraudster or follow their instructions.
To remove malware from a Windows computer:
Select the Start button.
1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Apps (in Windows 10, select Apps > Apps & features; in Windows 11, select Apps > Installed apps).
3. Review the list of installed programs and look for anything you don’t recognise. If you find something suspicious, select it and click Uninstall.
4. Right-click your Recycle Bin and select Empty Recycle Bin.
5. Open File Explorer (the yellow folder icon), go to your Downloads folder, and delete any files you don’t recognise or didn’t want to download.
On a Mac:
1. Open Finder and your Applications folder.
2. See if there are any apps you don’t recognise or remember downloading.
3. If there are any, delete them by selecting the app, then choosing File > Move to Bin.
4. Once done, empty the Bin (right-click the Bin icon in the Dock and select Empty Bin).
5. Follow the same steps in your Downloads folder."
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