3DMAX loses almost $1m in a fraud scam

French esports organisation 3DMAX has fallen sufferer to a fraud rip-off, inflicting it to undergo monetary losses totalling nearly seven figures.

Stéphane Pons, 3DMAX CEO, revealed in an interview with Lasource.gg {that a} former accomplice dedicated the fraud shortly earlier than he took the position, leading to important structural and monetary harm.

Nonetheless, Pons didn’t disclose the precise determine or the title of the previous accomplice concerned within the fraud. Due to his background in finance, he managed to determine irregular transactions going down throughout the organisation, freezing its accounts to forestall additional harm.

The 3DMAX CEO confirmed that each one staff income had gone, together with revenue generated from match placements and Main sticker cash. Counter-Strike’s Main stickers play an integral position within the shooter title’s ecosystem, with Valve splitting 50% of income from capsules among the many 32 groups competing within the match.

“Shortly earlier than my arrival, we have been victims of fraud perpetrated by a former accomplice of the organisation,” Pons revealed within the interview. “Authorized motion is underway. The sum is six figures, near seven. Nonetheless, I’ve dedicated, together with the proprietor, to cowl 100% of the lacking quantity for the gamers. We’re reassessing our revenue to make sure the staff has all of the assist and instruments it wants.”

Along with masking the price of the losses, Pons said that 3DMAX is near resolving the state of affairs and is anticipated to share an replace containing constructive information sooner or later.

The Counter-Strike ecosystem is not any stranger to gamers and groups being impacted by a spread of unlawful actions. In March 2025, former FaZe Clan participant Joakim ‘Jkaem‘ Myrbostad revealed that he gambled away $11,000 (~£8,124) value of precious skins that have been loaned to him to be used on the BLAST.television Paris Main in 2023.

In current months, hackers have been hijacking YouTube accounts to impersonate high-profile gamers, luring followers into collaborating in pretend giveaways that end in stolen Steam accounts and the lack of high-value in-game objects.