Buying Online Games: How to Avoid Scams

Gamers are a favorite for cyber criminals: they have valuable accounts on game services such as Steam, payment data and private information can be stolen and cash can be made with fake shops and offers, warns Kaspersky. The Russian IT security specialist has a few tips ready to help you avoid becoming a victim of fraud.

 A well-filled Steam account, a “Fortnite” account with lots of purchased content: The digital possessions of gamers are not only a billion dollar business for the gaming industry, but are also targeted by hackers.

They hijack accounts, steal credit card information - and do it with increasingly sophisticated methods.

1. Only buy in official stores!

So-called key resellers often offer coupon codes for games on Steam and other platforms at significantly lower prices than the official providers. The problem: Many an alleged key seller is actually a scam in which games are paid for and then not delivered.

Kaspersky therefore recommends buying games only from official providers such as Steam, GOG or the platforms of the respective publisher. You should also be careful with extensions and only obtain them from official sources.

2. Beware of dubious discounts!

Specials are a great way to cost-effectively catch up on games that you missed on release after a few months. However, the discount hunters are also a popular target for criminals who lure them into a trap with fake offer emails.

Therefore, when you receive emails that advertise special gaming offers, check with the developer that the offer really exists. Discounts that are too good to be true are often a ruse.

3. Check the return policy!

No risk from cybercriminals, but also important: find out about the return policy of the platform from which you buy digital games. If a game does not work on your PC or is not convincing in terms of play, you can return it to many providers.

The deadline for this is very different: The Google Play Store, for example, has a 48-hour return period, and Steam rejects game claims if the title has been played for longer than two hours.

4. Prepaid credit card for game shopping

Game accounts are also an attractive target for criminals because they often contain valuable credit card information. There have been successful hacks in the past in which the card data was stolen from gamers.

Therefore, according to Kaspersky, it is advisable to use a prepaid credit card to buy digital games. This gives the player more cost control - and the criminal less prey if the hack is successful.

5. Use secure connection!

If you surf the public Wi-Fi network in a café or hotel, you should be careful - not just when buying games. Here, data can be transmitted unencrypted, which means that network admins or even hackers may gain access. Kaspersky therefore recommends that it is best not to log into gaming services at all while using such a WLAN. You have to use an encrypted VPN.

6. Secure accounts well!

Accounts at game services like Steam should always be secured with the strongest possible security measures in view of their valuable content.

 This includes a strong password on the one hand, but also two-factor authentication with login codes via email, mobile phone app or SMS as an additional security measure. Anyone who logs on to a game service with a social media account should also use strong passwords and two-factor authentication.

7. Protect devices properly!

To protect yourself against spyware and other malware on your own PC or smartphone, Kaspersky recommends installing an up-to-date protection solution.

In addition to paid offers like the one from Kaspersky, free offers like the Windows Defender included with Windows 10 are already an effective protection. Purchased virus scanners often offer useful extras such as a VPN server, password manager or secure cloud storage.