Fortnite scam warning issued over ‘free or discounted V-Bucks’ – here’s how to stay safe
EPIC Games has issued a fresh warning about Fortnite scams that trick youngsters into handing over cash.
Rogue scammers lure Fortnite players in with the promise of free or discounted V-Bucks, a virtual in-game currency.
But rather than receiving the digital dosh, Fortnite players are left out of pocket.
Epic Games has been grappling with a rush of Fortnite scams since the game shot to enormous popularity earlier this year.
Scammers take advantage of Fortnite's young player-base, banking on the fact that gamers will be young and naive enough to fall for their tricks.
In a new tweet posted to its official Twitter account, Epic Games wrote: "Say NO to scams! Beware of scam sites offering free or discounted V-Bucks.";
The game studio linked to a support page detailing the problem.
"We've seen several instances of account theft and fraud related to websites that claim to provide you free V-Bucks or the ability to share or buy accounts," Epic Games explained.
"Please never share your Epic account details with anyone.
"Epic will never ask you for your password through email, social media, or a non-Epic website. Groups claiming to provide special Fortnite deals this way are fraudulent."
Scammers target users in lots of different ways.
Sometimes gamers will be hooked by a YouTube video promising free or discounted V-Bucks.
Or they'll be tempted by a link posted by criminals in a reply to an official Epic Games post on Twitter.
But however gamers end up on free V-Bucks websites, the result is always the same.
"We've seen the sites online, just like you," writes Epic Games.
"Click here, put in your username, maybe answer a survey question or two, and you'll get as many free V-Bucks as you'd like.
What is Fortnite Battle Royale?
If you're new to the game, here's what you need to know...
- Fortnite Battle Royale is a free game
- It's available on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Mac and now iPhone too
- In the game, up to 100 players are dropped onto a fictional island
- Players are then forced to battle it out in a last-person-standing deathmatch
- To help, players can collect a range of weapons hidden all over the island
- You can also collect resources – like wood, bricks and metal – to build defensive structures
- The area you can play in on the island is constantly shrinking thanks to an encroaching storm
- This means players are forced together over time, until just one person survives
- The game has been a huge hit, and is also available on iPhone
"Those sites aren't real. They want you to enter your account credentials into their page (enabling them to log in as you and create fraudulent charges) or else encourage you to click down a chain of advertising referrals, getting click-through advertising money for the person running the site.
"Under no circumstances are those sites able to actually grant V-Bucks. Our legal team is constantly prowling to hunt down those sites."
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So how can you stay safe from these scams? Follow these simple tips:
- Never share your account details with anyone else
- Never try to purchase V-Bucks from anywhere other than an official Fortnite website
- Don't be tempted by offers, cheats, hacks or discounts from non-official websites
- Never enter your credit or debit card information for Fortnite items on a non-official site
- You'll never be asked for your password through email, social media or a non-Epic website
- Never share or buy Fortnite accounts
- Remember: Free V-Bucks don't exist – so you'll never be able to get them without paying
- Verify your email address on your Fortnite account
- Set up two-factor authentication in your security settings to boost security
Have you seen any online scams for Fortnite? Let us know in the comments!
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