From decoded plaintext JSON samples (and unpickled Python dicts):

Locate your existing game directory and copy your original save to a safe backup folder.

Seeing a shortened URL service like bit.ly inside a software error often triggers concerns about malware or viruses. In this specific scenario, the cause is usually related to one of two things: 1. Incomplete File Paths or Corrupted Shortcuts

No HMAC, signature, or checksum is present. The tool loading profile.dat cannot detect tampering (e.g., changing default_link to a malicious domain).

If your query regarding profile.dat refers to a file or specific data scraping, there is a security angle to consider.

Open your file manager and navigate to your Download folder to find the new profile.dat . Copy it.

When in doubt, contact Bitly Trust & Safety directly (not via the suspicious file’s instructions) – but they will confirm: they do not generate or require any profile.dat file for normal operations.

Historically, players utilize an Android file manager (such as ZArchiver) to manually replace their local profile with the one downloaded from a shortened link. The typical technical workflow for DLS 2019 includes the following steps: