Kaspersky Lab experts recorded 7,000 attempts by cybercriminals to infect gamers every day in 2012.
The survey finds that attacks are being launched to gain access to personal user data like passwords to online games and online banking systems.
According to the report, malicious users attempt to steal avatars and in-game items to subsequently sell these virtual goods for real money.
The report found that an average of 10 emails each day containing malicious links and attachements.
Kaspersky Lab said one of the most favored tactics in the world of online games is phishing.
Last year, Kaspersky Lab experts recorded 15 million attempted visits to phishing websites which the company claims are designed to look like the pages of one of the largest developers of online games.
The survey found that there were about 50,000 attempted redirects to phishing sites on a daily basis.
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"First and foremost, one needs to be alert when receiving emails featuring, for example, a request from an online game’s admin server for personal information about your account or an authorization offer under some pretext," advised Kaspersky labs. "Don’t just click on the link right away – it could be a phishing site."
"Next, don’t download unofficial patches from dubious sources — you could easily end up downloading a ‘bonus’ in the form of a Trojan that would then infiltrate your system and start stealing all of your passwords."
