Hogwarts Legacy 'free downloads' being used to scam players, experts warn

Gamers are being urged to stay away from websites which claim to offer Hogwarts Legacy for free, as you may end up installing dangerous files instead.

As outlined in a blog post on anti-malware software Malwarebytes’ website, since Hogwarts Legacy’s launch, a number of dodgy sites have been capitalising on the game’s popularity in order to bait unsuspecting people into various scams. On the surface, they appear to offer a ‘cracked’ (basically, pirated and free) version of the Wizarding World RPG, but this is just a ruse.

Take a look around Hogsmeade in Hogwarts Legacy below.

According to Malwarebytes, some websites ask users to fill out a survey before they’re supposedly given access to the game’s activation code (which, please note, they won’t be - the code doesn’t exist). These may ask for users’ phone numbers. Another website which Malwarebytes trialled did allow them to download something, but it was actually a Trojan dropper, which drops adware onto victims’ PCs. Definitely not something you want.

Given what an impact Hogwarts Legacy has had on the gaming community in the months since its release, it’s no wonder that scammers would try to cash in on it and trick people like this. As of right now, the game is still only available to play on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, which means it’s pretty dang expensive. This has likely fuelled the power of these scams even further, as many gamers may be currently unable to play it due to the cost.

Even so, it’s certainly not worth the risk of venturing onto any of these sites when it’s probable that you’ll end up with a bunch of annoying adware issues to deal with and no game to show for it. Hogwarts Legacy releases on PS4 and Xbox One tomorrow (5 May), where hopefully it’ll be a bit more affordable before too long.