Today, millions of gamers play casino real money games on internet platforms but as the number of gamers increases, so does the number of scams that target the gaming community. Online gaming today is a billion-dollar industry. All of those funds involve online transactions which means that scammers and hackers view this group as lucrative targets.
Some of the scams are old and gamers generally know how to avoid them but there are dozens of new scams circulating that can be dangerous to players who are unaware or not prepared to be careful.
The latest online scams that gamers should watch out for:
Phishing
One of the most prevalent scams involves phishing scams where emails or websites designed to mimic legitimate gaming platforms are sent out randomly, often with big bonus deals attached which are designed to lure unsuspecting players into clicking on the “log-in” or “sign-up” page. Once you click on that page, one of a few things might happen
- You may download a virus or a malware into your device simply by having clicked on the link.
- You may submit your personal information, including your ebanking data, to the site as part of your sign-up and that information can then be used to hack your ebank account
- You may compromise other casino accounts where you play real money games.
To insure that your communication with a website is authentic, check the URL. A secure URL will have “https” at the beginning of the web address, as opposed to “http.” The “s” in “https” stands for secure and indicates that the site is using a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificate.
Account Hijacking
If you see a website or profile that claims to offer discounts, in-game currency or other free items, be careful. Scammers create websites with these offers to draw you in and then leave you high and dry as they take your money and disappear.
Other ways that scammers may try to hijack your account involve through the hosting of fake giveaways or contests. If you receive such an invitation from a source with which you are not familiar, ditch it. As soon as you provide personal information or make a payment to enter, you’ll suddenly find out that the site doesn’t deliver anything.
Impersonations
Fake casinos may try to make contact with you by impersonating friends, game developers or even famous players and streamers. It’s normal to trust people who reach out to you in such a say but these scammers know how to manipulate that trust to scam you out of your assets.
Impersonators generally reach out to their targets through social media connections – they find your personal information on your social media profiles or “friend” you through other friends whom they’ve already identified.
Scammers have learned that, by impersonating a bank, they can gain access to your bank account. Most banks today allow you conduct online banking transactions only when you submit a code that you receive to your personal device on your phone.
So if a scammer has your bank or credit card username and password, all they need is to get that code in order to get into your account. So if you get a call from the bank that warns you about a problem with your account and asks you to read out the “onetime password” that the bank is sending, watch out.
The scammer’s login attempt triggered your bank to send you the passcode .You’ll get the password but the minute that you read it out to the scammer, the scammer will have full access to your account.
Scammers are increasingly making contact with targets by contacting them via seemingly misdirected text messages which can pop up on your phone. The message seems urgent — a rescheduled flight, a business meeting, a message from your child’s teacher – so when you send back a text saying “wrong number” he scammer keeps up the friendly texts until an opening presents itself for the scammer to convince you to send credit card info or money or provide personal information.
If you use barcodes to make payments, beware of impersonators who send you a QR code with the promise that, when you click on the QR code, you’ll receive free casino cash. In reality, that QR code can bring you to a malicious website.
Crypto Swindle
Crypto gamers need to watch out for crypto scams in which the scammer sets up a fake “get your crypto cash back” website. To lure in the target, one of those websites will look like it’s from a government agency. If you respond, the scammer will ask for your account number and password information. You might also be asked to pay an advance fee for the site’s services. They promise you a gift card, cryptocurrency or wire transfer promotional bonus but, as you can guess, you won’t get anything.
Protect Yourself
Protecting yourself is easier said than done. In addition to the traditional warnings, to keep up with the latest scams, beware of suspicious links, use strong passwords and verify identities.
Google reminds Internet users to create and use strong and unique passwords, making sure that you have a different password for every account. Your passwords should consist of at least 8 characters and be made up of both capital and small letters, numbers and symbols.
Never download files from sources that you don’t recognize and don’t click on links from sources that you don’t recognize. If a site or individual contacts you with an offer, verify the source before clicking on anything. You can confirm identities via official channels or social media profiles
Don’t share personal information, including your real name, address, and contact details, with anyone including with strangers in the gaming community.
Keep your computer and antivirus software up to date to protect against malware and keyloggers.
Online gaming scams pose a threat to the gaming community. In addition to the lost money, they undermine trust and your sense of security in your casino. Stay informed, adopt strong security measures and be cautious to protect yourself so that you can enjoy a safer and more secure online gaming environment.
