introduction
With so many gamers, video games are an even more attractive target for cybercriminals and hackers.
Cyber thieves can rely on various tricks to steal players’ identities, print bank accounts, or charge their credit cards.
Some scammers make fake mobile versions of popular online games. Once these phones are downloaded, they install malicious software on victims’ phones or computers.
Others rely on phishing attacks to trick people into giving up account information. Scammers often send players an email asking them to confirm their password and credentials. When players click the link in the email, they will be taken to a fake login page where they will have to enter their current password and username. Or, as seen recently, the attackers sent Discord QR codes promising rewards for their use but eventually stole the player’s account information.
but we know how to stop them
Common scams
When players reveal this information, scammers can log into player accounts and steal their virtual credits, online currency, or real currency in their online wallets. Virtual currency and stolen accounts can then be sold over the internet, providing a significant amount of real money, and real funds in wallets are pulled out.
Acquisition fraud is also common. Cybercriminals rely on malicious software to capture players’ online account details, such as B. those used to access online offers on popular video game platforms such as Steam, Epic, Origin, Uplay, and even Xbox and PlayStation consoles.
When criminals the information they get access to everything they contain, including the player’s real name, credit card information, home address, and phone numbers. With this information, they can make credit card purchases before players find out that their account number was stolen in the first place.
In another scheme, scammers try to trick players into visiting third-party websites to purchase add-ons for their games, e.g., B. weapons, special abilities, and new avatar outfits. The only problem? You must first provide your bank account details. When scammers have this financial information, they can quickly empty player accounts.
How can players protect themselves against fraud?
Even after life around the world is back to normal, players should be aware of scams and scams. The video game industry is too lucrative for cybercriminals to ignore whether or not gamers are quarantined at home.
But why is the gaming industry so popular for scammers?
Newzoo said in its Global Gaming Market Report 2019, the company’s latest report, that the global gaming market is expected to reach $ 152.1 billion in revenue last year. That is a jump of 9.6 percent compared to 2018.
The report also indicates that mobile games, which consist of games on smartphones and tablets, were the largest segment of the video game industry in 2019, with revenues of $ 68.5 billion. It made up 45 percent of the global gaming market.
There are steps players can take to protect their privacy from scammers.
Never reply to email inquiries or direct messages from Discord, Twitch, Steam, or any other platform asking for banking, personal, or credit card information – the best way to protect yourself? Never give your credit card information or bank account numbers to anyone who claims to be from a video game service or platform. Legitimate companies do not request this information via email. It is likely someone trying to steal your personal information.
Don’t let password scams fool you – you may receive an email stating that your password needs to be updated. Never click on any of the links in these emails. This will take you to a fake website asking you to enter your personal and financial details. Fraudsters use this information to access your accounts. Instead, delete any email asking you to update your credentials.
Protect your game accounts with strong passwords – use passwords that are hard for hackers to guess. A combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols work best. Do not use the same password for multiple accounts. If a hacker breaks your password on one site, he can use the same password to break into your other accounts.
Use two-factor authentication – Setting up two-factor authentication can make it much more difficult for hackers to hack into your video game accounts. Once activated, you and anyone trying to access your account will generally need two IDs to log into your site, usually your password and phone number.
For more information click HERE
