If you’re anything like most gamers, you love spending your free time online gaming with your friends. But did you know that scammers and hackers were using these online gaming platforms to steal your identity? Indeed, these cybercrimes are scary, yet, they could easily be prevented.
This post will reveal five gaming identity theft scams you need to be aware of. We’ll also give guidance on protecting yourself from becoming a victim and share tips on staying safe while gaming online. Stay tuned!
What is Identity Theft?
Identity theft is the phrase used to define the unauthorized use of your private information, such as your name, SSN, and birthdate. It can happen when someone steals your data without your authorization. Once robbed, this data can be used to open new accounts in your name or get valuable goods and services that you may not have authorized.
Identity thieves typically target individuals who are likely to suffer financial hardship. It is because of identity theft-related scams or frauds committed against them by others. They also tend to focus on high-value targets. They fall victim and pay higher settlements than those with low-value profiles.
A reliable identity verification solution follows the industry’s flexible online age verification solutions. Their design lets you efficiently and quickly verify customers’ ages to avoid legal issues. It also helps you from embarrassment caused by incorrect age information.
They offer various features, including:
- Real-time validation.
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All their services are mostly secure and easy to use, no matter your device. They also pride themselves on being friendly and helpful in delivering quality products and services.
5 Best Gaming Identity Theft Scams You Shouldn’t Fall For
Gaming Identity Theft scams are becoming increasingly popular among cybercriminals. They use this scam to steal:
- Social security numbers.
- Credit card information, and
- Other personal information from unwitting gamers.
Once the cybercriminals have this data, they can fraudulently open new accounts in the victim’s name. It can be done by selling the information to others who want to commit identity theft. They can also use the data to launch phishing campaigns or spam emails to steal more information from unsuspecting victims.
Identity theft is a serious issue, and scammers know how to exploit vulnerable people. That’s why it’s essential to be aware of the 5 best gaming identity theft scams to remain secure and not fall victim to a scam. In this article, we’ll explain each fraud in detail and tell how to avoid them. So read on and stay safe!
1. Targeting Gamers’ IP Addresses
Identity theft is a severe offense that can devastate the people involved. One of the most common ways that identity thieves steal someone’s identity. Using their personal information to open fraudulent accounts in their name.
One of the ways that gamers are targets of these scams is through your IP address scams. These scams involve fraudsters revealing your IP address. Once they have this data, they can employ it to log into your account and steal your money or resources.
An IP address identifies each user’s internet location. Once an attacker has your IP address, they may be able to find out your full name, home address, and other personal data. Hackers could launch assaults to obtain your bank and gaming account information using those specifics.
2. Sending Players to External Websites
One of the most common ways gaming identity theft scams work is by sending gamers to external websites that look like they’re affiliated with legitimate gaming companies. Once there, the scammers attempt to get the gamer to enter personal information, like their credit card numbers and other personal details.
This scam is particularly dangerous because it can easily lead to financial ruin. These websites are illegal and tend to charge high fees for services that are often not even worth the wait time.
If you’re a gamer and receive such a message, avoid clicking on any links or entering any information until you know it’s safe. You can also try contacting the website’s owner directly if you have questions about its legitimacy.
3. Phishing
Gaming identity theft scams are becoming increasingly common as users become more comfortable sharing personal information online. Phishing is the most common form of gaming identity theft scam. Users are tricked into giving away their account details.
The scammers typically send emails asking for personal information like account passwords or credit card numbers. Sometimes they’ll even offer excellent gaming deals in exchange for this information.
Once they’ve entered their account details, the scammers can steal all the money and items stored on that account. They can also spread malware and other viruses to damage the victim’s computer further.
The most helpful way to avoid being scammed is to be very cautious when entering your personal information online. Always verify the legitimacy of any site before submitting any data, and always use a secure password that you don’t easily remember or share with others. You can even employ a password manager to help keep track of all your passwords and ensure they’re safe.
4. Game’s Fake Version
Gaming identity theft scams have become increasingly popular in the past few years. It is because these scams involve fake mobile versions of popular online games, which are designed to fool victims into giving away their private information.
The scammer will usually create a fake or mod version of one of the most popular online games on the market and then use it to lure in victims. They will do this by posing as someone who needs help with the game or by claiming that there’s an issue with their account.
Once the victim logs in to the fake game, they’ll be taken to a page where they need to enter their personal information. This data is then used to steal the victim’s money and other assets, making it difficult for them to recover from this ordeal.
The most suitable way to avoid being targeted by such a scam is to be very careful when downloading any new game or app. You should never hand out your private information without verifying it’s necessary.
5. Targeting Children
Cybercriminals may use in-game voice chat to entrap children while simultaneously grooming them to buy stuff in the games using their parents’ credit cards. To access the child’s account, these con artists will occasionally persuade children to provide their login information or click on a link they email them.
Once the cybercriminal has the information, they can steal actual money from the child’s online wallet, virtual credits, and other types of online cash. The real-world money in the wallets is retrieved after the virtual currency and the stolen accounts are sold on the dark web, making a sizable amount of real-world cash.
Takeaways
We hope the content we share will help you stay safe from these gaming identity theft scams. You may have already fallen for some of these scams and got your money or data stolen.
There are certain precautions to keep yourself safe regarding online gaming, but if you’re not careful, they can cost you a lot of time and effort. So just be extra-aware when accessing your favorite games using public computers, like at college libraries or coffee shops.
If possible, use a secured account with banking apps where additional layers of security come into play.
