Silent Crime: the scams targeting children when they play Fortnite and Roblox

• Scammers are targeting players of popular video games as their next potential victims. 
• They may try to get players to buy fake versions of in-game currency and leave them out of pocket. 
• Or they may even try to steal your personal information. 

Millions of Brits play video games every year - from firing up a gaming PC or PlayStation 5, to playing Candy Crush on your phone when you have a spare moment. 

But if your kids like to spend their spare time joining friends for a game of Fortnite or Roblox after school, they could be at risk of becoming the target of scammers. Cyber criminals are targeting popular games as a way to make illicit money. 

Scott Hermann, the co-owner and CEO of IDIQ, warns in an op-ed in Forbes magazine that these scams targeting games played by children can put your personal information, such as usernames, passwords and even credit card numbers. 

It comes as we launch a campaign amid an epidemic of violence, theft and anti-social behaviour that we’re calling ‘Silent Crime’.

We want you to tell us incidents that have happened to you, your family or your friends in your neighbourhood; how it impacted you and whether justice was served. We are campaigning for the voices of victims to be heard and we will take your stories to Downing Street. 

But what are the scams to watch for - and how can you protect your kids from them? 

Fake currency generators 

Writing for Forbes, Mr Hermann explained: “Scammers promise to pay users in-game currency in exchange for actions such as clicking on ads that contain malware that can track log-in information.” 

Fake websites

He also warns that scammers may use fake websites, which appear to be legitimate storefronts for games like Fortnite or Roblox, to trick gamers out of money. Mr Hermann adds: “Scammers set up fraudulent sites that claim to sell in-game currency to capture users’ login and/or credit card information.” 

What are the dangers of these scams? 

The scams, like those above, targeting gamers - often children - playing popular titles like Fortnite or Roblox run the risk of not only having personal information stolen but also running up charges on credit/ debit cards. Mr Hermann explains: “Your kids may feel heartbroken if someone takes over their game account and wipes out their game currency and resources, but the real-world consequences for you could be far more serious.

“We’ve had members call into our customer care centre to report scams that have exposed their children’s login information and led to fraudulent charges on their credit cards, ranging from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. Many of these reports stated that children saw what looked like legitimate ads on YouTube promoting free game currency but actually directed them to fraudulent websites. 

“In one case, a scammer asked a child to download an app on their parent's phone, which turned out to be a screen mirroring app. The criminal told the child which apps to open and was able to capture their bank account and other sensitive information from the screen.”

How to protect your children? 

If your kids are like the millions of others in Britain and around the globe who enjoy playing games of Fortnite or Roblox or the multitude of other popular titles, you might be wondering what are the best ways to keep them safe from scammers. Mr Hermann recommends the following measures: 

• Educate your household
• Set up added security
• Verify in-app purchases
• Review privacy settings
• Use unique passwords
• Be proactive about protection

He adds: “By staying informed and vigilant about potential gaming scams, you can help keep your children and your information safe.” 

To force change, we need to unite and remind ourselves that these 'silent crimes’ are not acceptable. You should be safe and feel safe at work, at home, in the park and in our own neighbourhoods. We need you to tell us your stories in this survey and we, on your behalf, will take them to Downing Street.