It is in the line of highly popular games like Pokemon Go that you find Fortnite, as such, it makes a lot of sense that the buzz is overwhelming. In the same way, scammers are beginning to take advantage of the popularity of the multiplayer game to scam kids in what has become popular as the Fortnite Scam.
The game has become extremely popular and apart from PCs and Consoles, it has also been designed for iPhones, with the Android version still being worked upon. With that stated, there are many scammers already out there working to steal from kids anxious to play the game.
Although the levels of the scam can vary greatly, here are things you should know:
1. Fortnite has not been released on Android APK
Of course, a lot of people are anxious to have the game on Andriod, but it is yet to be released until this fall according to Epic games. Nonetheless, there are some sites and social media users that keep telling gamers the game is now on Android and for one to play, one would need to download and install some other applications that would help the game to play.
The truth, however, is that it’s all BS. Most applications that are trustworthy do not need other applications to help them run effectively. What is more is that the other applications you are encouraged to download may only steal your information, data, account, or do something even worse. For this to get your antenna up, it is not on Google Play that the fake game is downloaded but on sites without any serious reputation.
2. Free V-Bucks
Another major way that scammers are getting kids, teenagers, and adults getting into the game is with the promise of free V-Bucks, which is a currency you can use in the game to buy some more character outfit. What they do is to promise kids free V-Bucks through advertisements that have become popular on different platforms including YouTube and Twitter.
For those who click the link in order to get the currency, questions would be asked about one’s account details and in that way, they get to steal credit and debit card information. More so, in an attempt to get the V-Bucks for free, kids have given away the account details of their parents resulting in them losing some money.
It is very important to realize that the only way to get the currency for free is not in the game mode that most people are familiar with. Instead, you can only get it from the Fortnite’s PvE mode, which is premium in itself.
3. Places where you can easily get scammed
YouTube is one of the main places where the Fortnite scam is carried out. This is because the fraudsters are able to sponsor adverts promising free V-Bucks without having to place them on YouTube search where they can be found and brought down.
More so, other social media sites like Twitter have also been used by the scammers, but Twitter is constantly getting down the threads so they are unable to succeed much on the platform. There are also some sites that are designed for such purposes. The sites do not have any authority and based on their design, they are only done for that sole purpose.
4. To Avoid Fortnite Scam
When it finally comes later this fall, one of the best ways to avoid getting scammed as an android user is to ensure that you download it from very trusted sources such as Google Play.
5. People want the game banned
A step away from those trying to use the game to scam others, women are working hard to have the game banned because they believe that apart from consuming the time of many people, the game seems to be brainwashing a lot of people. There are already multiple petitions on chang.org by women to ban the game.
See Also: Teenage Hackers: it’s not about the money, they just want to impress and as a moral crusade
In addition to that, schools are beginning to issue warnings to parents to ban the game at home because of the effect that it is having on students.
Quick things to know about Fortnite Battle Royale
- It has been released on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, and iPhone, while the Android version is being worked on.
- Built in a dystopian world, players (up to 100) find themselves on an island where they have to battle till the last person remains.
- The problem faced by characters is that although they can gather weapons and materials to build defenses, the island is continuously shrinking because of a coming storm.
- There is what is known as the Fortnite V-Bucks, which is the currency of the game. While it can be gotten freely, one may also need to purchase it.
- The Fortnite Battle Royale is believed to be very addictive
