Scams in Gaming: How to Spot and Avoid Online Fraud

Scams relating to gaming have been around for quite a time, they’ve just changed and evolved—they’re no longer obvious as giving someone on World of Warcraft your account details for a free gift that will never arrive—cybercriminals now use more advanced methods to trick new and younger players. A Kaspersky study in 2023 revealed that during the festive months there is a 25% increase of scam activity, especially relating to Fortnite, Roblox and Call of Duty: Warzone.

In a recent case, a 12-year-old Fortnite player was lured by an Instagram advert that promoted free V-Bucks, the in-game currency. After clicking the link and entering his account details, his account got stolen and his personal details sold on the black market. Cases like this are beginning to become more common, especially when younger players are playing multiplayer games more nowadays.

These scams don’t just impact gamers but also impact developers who always fight against these activities for their players. Because of scammers, trust can be lost within a community as it’s difficult to maintain security.

There are many methods of scams, but here are a few that you might commonly come across:

Social Media Scams:

You’ve probably come across posts saying “Like, share and comment for a chance to win 10,000 Robux!” while some can be real, most are scams. Scammers have moved to platforms like Discord, Instagram, X and Reddit, usually they act as developers or influencers and message players with offers of in-game items or access to unreleased content. These scams often direct players to fake websites that steal information.

Account Phishing:

Scammers have been known to send emails and messages disguised as developers claiming there is an issue with accounts. You’ll be asked to “verify” your details or redeem unclaimed rewards. Once details are entered, scammers gain full control of your account. Hackers often use this method to make purchases, trade in-game items or even sell accounts and information. It is hard to recover an account once this is done, especially when two-factor authentication (2FA) is enabled—so, make sure to do 2FA first before a scammer gets there first!

Fake Services:

Scammers make elaborate websites to advertise “rank upgrades”, cheats and hacks—nobody should be cheating on a game either way!  When players pay for these services, their accounts, like the other methods, are compromised or instantly and permanently banned. Most of these “services” are malware that can steal personal information, like banking details, all passwords and even identity.

Younger gamers may lack awareness for these scams and for digital security, especially now that AI tools and deepfake technology is being used. With AI fake messages, voice recordings and even fake customer services can be created. An expert from KnowBe4, James McQuiggan warns, “AI-powered chatbots are making scam attempts more convincing than ever.”

Okay, so scams are now more advanced and now you know which methods scammers use but what now? The answer is: learn to protect yourself and others. And we’ll tell you how:

Never share personal details online:

Developers and companies will never ask for your password via emails or direct messages.

Look out for the red flags:

If something seems too good to be true, then it probably is. Trust your instinct and always seek out trustworthy sources like IGN and GamesRadar+ or storefronts such as PlayStation Network, Steam, Xbox etc.

Enable 2FA:

Adding an extra layer of security can go a long way and make it harder for scammers to access your account.

Educate younger players:

Parents of younger players should always discuss online safety with their children and monitor their gaming interactions. Alongside 2FAs, adding parental control to a child’s account can add more security.

Verify emails:

Always verify if an email is from a legitimate company by visiting their official website or contacting customer support directly.

If you ever encounter a scam, report it immediately to your gaming platform and cybersecurity authorities. Below are some key resources:

Action Fraud (UK): www.actionfraud.police.uk 

FTC Scam Reporting (US): www.reportfraud.ftc.gov 

Platform Support:

Steam: https://help.steampowered.com 

Xbox: https://support.xbox.com 

PlayStation: https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/support 

Nintendo: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/support