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December 11th, 2020Fortnite Battle Royale is one of the most popular video games in the world right now. It is free to play and is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, iPhone, and Nintendo Switch.
The primary audience is kids. They spend hours battling each other online and also researching gameplay and strategy by communicating on Twitch, to come out on top against their competitors. In this game, up to 100 players are dropped onto a fictional island. Players battle it out in hopes of being the last man standing.
To help players survive, they can collect a range of weapons hidden all over the island. They can also gather resources like wood, bricks, and metal to build defensive structures. The island is continually shrinking, and they are forced together until just one person survives.
Sadly, the popularity of Fortnite had made its players a big target for scammers and identity thieves. These kids are a prime target for online scammers because of their obsession with Fortnite on Playstation and Xbox and their naivety online and in life. They are the perfect candidate to steal information and money from them.
Ways Kids Are Being Lured into Fortnite Scams
Free V-Bucks Scam (Verification Scam): Most Fortnite scams are all related to Fornite on Android downloads. One phony Fortnite Android video links through to a free V-Bucks website claiming to offer virtual currency at no cost. To get the V-bucks, you need to perform verification tasks that do nothing for the games but line the scammers’ pockets.
Normally you have to pay cash for V-Bucks, but this scamming website promises V-Bucks in exchange for tasks. The tasks are supposedly part of the verification process, but they involve downloading games, taking surveys, and watching ads. All of these tasks earn money for the scammer but leave you with nothing, not even any V-Bucks. Some scammers link to Fortnite news articles but use links that make them cash when you click.
Free V-Bucks Scam (Phishing Links): Another phishing scam lures gamers into a YouTube video for the Fortnite Android download to prey on players’ desires to play Fortnite on their phones. Instead, scammers offer up how-to video guides and web links for free V-Bucks, which is a virtual currency in Fortnite.
Fortnite Fake Download Sites: A third scam fraudsters use involves social media sites like Twitter to share links for the Fortnite Android download age. Fake download sites are easy to spot if you pay attention. Look for typos like “server.” The dubious downloads lead to malicious malware that can be very harmful leading all the way to identity theft.
These links take you through web articles about Fortnite on Android. Before you get there, you’ll have to go through an advertising page that generates money for the scammer and wastes your time!
Ways to Protect Your Child, Their Gaming System and Your Personal Information from Scammers
Install Antivirus Software
This will protect your child if they inadvertently install a virus or malware on your gaming system. These programs can prevent threats from downloading on your system ad you can use this as a learning experience for your child.
Set Limits on Communication with Other Players
Many online games allow players to communicate with each other verbally. Warn your children about the stranger they will be talking to. Alert them to be aware of a stranger wants them to go to a strange website, or a messaging website such as LINE or Kik, or share personal information. Make sure your child is old enough and mature enough to use the voice chat feature when playing video games.
Teach You Kids About Online Scams
Communicate and educate your children about scammers who may offer in-game currency to those who fill out a survey. This may appear harmless to a child, but these fake surveys give the scammer all sorts of information such as full name, addresses, bank information, passwords, etc.
Fortnite is a free game. Right now it is only available on the new Samsung phones but will eventually be available in a broader selection of Android phones, have patience and don’t get caught by sneaky scammers. Scams like these are becoming commonplace. Remember if it sounds too good to be true, IT IS!
Social Catfish is Here to Help You!
If you suspect foul play or perhaps a scammer, please contact Social Catfish to help you prevent your child from becoming a Fortnite scam victim. At Social Catfish, we want to help you verify the identities of those who might seem suspicious to you. If you have their name, email address, phone number, social media username, or image, you can reverse search and see who the suspected person was that you’ve been in contact with if you think you’ve been a victim of Fortnite scams.
