Fortnite fraudsters steal parents’ bank details

FRAUDSTERS have been using the video game Fortnite to con children into sharing their parents’ bank account details, police have said.

Action Fraud, the national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre run by City of London Police, said it had received a number of reports of fraudulent charges being made on parents’ cards. Criminals lure children on social media sites and Youtube with adverts claiming to offer free “V-bucks”, a currency used to buy extras such as character outfits. After clicking the link, victims can be asked questions about their account, which the perpetrator uses to log in and steal credit or debit card details that are stored there.

An Action Fraud spokesman said: “When downloading or purchasing game add-ons only ever use the official websites. Never be tempted to click on links to unknown sites and most importantly never reveal your password or account details. It is important that parents make their children aware of the threat of fraud online.”

Epic Games, Fortnite’s developer, issued an advisory on its forum warning people to avoid sites promising free Vbucks. Fortnite has become a smash hit since its launch last year, with an estimated three million people playing at any given time.