Simply put
- Raivo “Rastaland” Plavnieks has begun live streaming at a gas station to help pay for his rare cancer treatment.
- On Sunday, viewers suggested he download a game from Steam, which ultimately contained malware that stole funds from his wallet.
- The crypto and online security community rallied to support him, increasing token values, donating money, and working to find the hackers.
The streamer, who has been raising funds for his stage 4 cancer, lost over $31,000 in cryptocurrency after downloading a harmful game on Steam. Thankfully, the crypto community stepped up, supporting streamers, boosting token values, and assisting in identifying the attackers.
The Latvian streamer, Raivo “Rastaland” Plavnieks, launched a token on pump.fun called “Help me defeat cancer,” hoping to generate income through streaming. He started playing games on livestream to engage with his audience. The creators of this token earn part of the transaction fees.
During a livestream on Sunday, viewers encouraged Plavnieks to download and try a game on Steam. After he launched the game titled “Block the Blaster,” he suffered a loss of $31,189 due to hack-related fees, and his distress was visible to the audience.
For those wondering, my livestream helped save me – then I downloaded a verified game. After that, I was hit with over $32,000 of losses from fees I had earned.
– rastaland.tv (@rastalandtv) September 21, 2025
“I can’t breathe or think; everything feels overwhelming,” Plavnieks shared. He expressed fears about possibly being homeless or struggling to find food in the coming days.
At 26, Plavnieks considers himself a crypto enthusiast. He discovered a mass on his back in December and subsequently learned he had a rare stage 4 sarcoma. Currently undergoing chemotherapy, he has seen an influx of donations since the hacking incident, partly through GoFundMe.
The code fights back
In response to the hacking, the crypto community and online security personnel came together to support Plavnieks. His token skyrocketed in value, increasing by 3,000% to reach a market cap of $2.5 million, which in turn benefited several creators. Investigators also began to trace the hackers.
Zachxbt, a well-known code investigator, collaborated with other researchers to analyze the breach, identify the culprits, and work towards a solution. He noted that the malicious game had resulted in over $150,000 in losses and criticized Steam for allowing it onto their platform. Experts reported that thousands of devices were infected, with estimates suggesting around 400 victims.
Allowing malware on the platform caused a theft of over $150,000; the fake game had been accessible for more than a month.
– Zachxbt (@zachxbt) September 21, 2025
“We believe our expertise can make a difference and help fight back against these heinous crimes,” Zachxbt stated. He and his team are attempting to convince the hackers to return the stolen money to Plavnieks and other victims.
However, a shared screenshot from Telegram indicates that the attackers are dismissive, contending they won’t return the funds. While they hinted at reversing the theft, reports suggest otherwise.
There seems to be a group of individuals specifically targeting cryptocurrency owners, according to Zachxbt. “While they may not fully admit it, there’s ample evidence to support this claim,” he added.
Plavnieks reported the incident to law enforcement and changed his wallet provider. In response to his situation, the crypto influencer Alex Becker donated $32,500, along with various other supporters stepping in to help.
“Thank you genuinely! My family and I are completely overwhelmed by the support we received in just 24 hours following the hack,” Plavnieks expressed, highlighting the immense gratitude he and his family felt.
“I’ll be back to streaming today,” he concluded.
