Playing in public lobbies might be just a tad safer and more enjoyable for the coming few days. A recent slew of topics on the Rockstar forums as well as other sites with an active GTA 5 community indicate that another one of the company's well loved — and feared, depending on which side you're on — ban waves has occurred.
Rockstar's anti-hacking measures in GTA Online seek to keep the game clean 24/7, but have little success due to the peer to peer server architecture. However, every now and then Rockstar does... something... which tightens the net for a short wile result in a massive number of simultaneous bans. During these ban waves, filthy hackers drop like flies after getting whacked with the legendary ban hammer.
Many hackers re-purchase the game, as they typically use paid mod menus if they don't get banned instantly. Others simply steal accounts through various scams. This leads to the hacker population rising back up some time after a ban wave unfortunately, but these do provide legitimate players with a few days or even a week of fresh air.
GTA Online's hacker issue has been at the forefront of the game's public image for quite some time. Every Subreddit and forum will have players describing unfortunate encounters in GTA Online with the malicious hackers planting green haired clones on their back who spawn hostile PEDs, drop money and redirect damage from shots fired back to you.
Of course, there are methods to avoid these hackers. The best course of action is to join a large crew and play in their private lobbies, which are guaranteed to be free of hackers. You don't even need a crew if you have a large enough group of friends to play with.
However, if for whatever reason neither of those are applicable, you should just quit the session and find another one. The best way to annoy the hackers is to deprive them of their enjoyment, which is bothering people. If you simply leave without provoking them further, you've caused the most damage.
