Scamming in gaming is something that has been going on for years and years, but children are particularly easy to target. During the pandemic, there has been an increase in gaming scams as children are spending so much more time gaming. Before your child plays, make sure you know what scamming is, what it looks like and how you can prevent it.
What is scamming in gaming?
A scam is a deceptive scheme or trick used to cheat someone out of something, especially money. In video games, players scam other players for in-game currency and in-game purchases as well as access to their login information and the credit cards attached to their gaming accounts.
Why players scam?
Players scam other players for many reasons. They scam others to gain access to other gaming accounts, to steal credit card information, to steal in-game purchases, to steal gaming upgrades and to gain access to other personal information that they can use to their benefit.
How scamming affects other players
Gaming scams can affect players in many different ways. Scams affect anyone and everyone financially. Scams also affect the victims emotional well being, self-esteem and relationships with others. It can cause them to experience excessive worrying and anxiety as well as financial hardship.
Recommendations for parents
There are many things that you and your child can do to avoid and deal with scammers.
- Use different passwords on different sites. Using the same password on numerous sites makes it easier for a scammer to get your information.
- Only make purchases on official websites. When gaming, do not click on any third party links to make purchases.
- Use a strong password. Think about using a mix of upper case, lower case, letters, numbers and special characters.
- Do not share personal information with anyone. Whether you are chatting in a game or talking to someone on the phone, do not share your personal information. Additionally, do not share your login with friends.
- If you do get scammed, contact your credit card companies immediately.
- Change your passwords frequently and change them everywhere if you have been scammed.
- If you are being threatened by a scammer, tell a parent and report the scammer to the police if necessary.
Examples of Scamming
Has your child ever been scammed?