All to play for: the sophisticated new scams targeting gamers

All to play for: the sophisticated new scams targeting gamers

From phishing to malware, malicious players have the gaming world in their sights, looking to exploit its famed camaraderie. Here’s how gamers can stay one step ahead

As the world becomes increasingly turbulent, we naturally retreat to places of comfort. For millions of people, video games provide that refuge, with virtual worlds offering solitary escapism and soothing shared social spaces. This was especially true during the Covid-19 pandemic, when video games became a lifeline, connecting separated families and friends and providing a much-needed sense of routine.

With more than 3.6 billion gamers globally, almost half the planet’s population plays games in some shape or form. Yet as the medium continues to grow, so too do the risks associated with it. For all the joys of interconnected virtual locales, there are a growing number of bad actors seeking to tarnish this goodwill by scamming passionate players out of their hard-earned cash. In the 12 months from April 2024, more than 19m gaming-related cyberscams, from malware to phishing, were detected by the cybersecurity firm Kaspersky. And in the year to February 2023, worldwide losses were estimated at $216m (£160m).

So, to make sure that you’re racking up XP (experience points – a digital score representing a player’s progress) and not accidentally becoming a target of malicious players, here’s how you can identify suspicious-looking interactions so that we can all quest, group-up and frag online with peace of mind.

Malware disguised as indie games

Gamers are an increasingly connected bunch. Whether we’re grouping up on Discord or sharing memes on Reddit, games are a hobby that are just as brilliant to watch, talk about or research as they are to play. Unfortunately, this passion and camaraderie can also make gaming communities a tantalising target for thieves.

Accounts posing as game developers – or even trusted friends – on social media and chat apps can send out links to “beta builds” or demos – but it can be that these files actually house malicious malware that aims to steal your details. While this isn’t usually a problem for console gamers, as these devices are unable to download non-officially licensed titles, the open nature of PC gaming can lead to scammers presenting malware as quirky indie games.

While most games on leading digital platforms and official storefronts are safe, there have been a few free titles that were later updated with malware. One such game was BlockBlasters, a free 2025 platformer. Upon launch it was a legitimate game, but weeks later a free update added a hidden crypto drainer into the file, seeing the game quietly steal more than $150,000 (£110,000) from unsuspecting players.

This game has, of course, been removed, but it serves as a lesson to be wary of free games appearing online from unknown developers. Be sure, too, to read between the lines of reviews for free titles – as malicious games often come with uniformly positive reviews. If you have any suspicions of ill intent, contact online storefronts directly about a game.

Chris Dorrington, head of risk, UK and Ireland, at Visa, says: “As more of our lives move online, fraudsters continue to look for new ways to exploit trusted communities and digital experiences. Staying alert to unexpected requests, verifying offers before acting and using trusted platforms can all help people protect themselves from scams. But tackling fraud requires more than consumer vigilance alone. Businesses also have an important role to play. At Visa, we continue to invest in advanced fraud prevention capabilities, data-driven intelligence and ecosystem partnerships to help identify emerging threats, secure payments and protect consumers as they shop, play and connect online.”

Beware of unreviewed mods and cheats

Modding is a huge part of PC gaming, allowing players to creatively tinker with their favourite games by installing fun bits of fan-made, game-altering code. From modding in absurd costumes in the latest horror game, to improving the visuals of a “90s classic”, mods are a vital part of gaming to many passionate players.

Unfortunately, this DIY, community-led approach to tinkering with code also lends itself to bad actors. While downloading approved mods from official websites and storefronts is usually safe, be careful about installing mods from unmoderated message boards or

False giveaways and virtual currency generators

While for decades you’d buy a boxed game, finish it and then move on, many modern games are designed to be played for ever, functioning as their own virtual economies.

Massive free-to-play experiences such as Fortnite and Roblox cost nothing to download but make money by selling players in-game items that are purchased with their own virtual currencies. Buying these virtual currencies from officialnts is safe, but scammers can use the promise of virtual currency giveaways to try to steal users’ account login details or credit card information

Sometimes these take the form of phishing attempts – invitations to take part in innocent-looking surveys in return for virtual currency. These surveys will ask you to enter seemingly innocuous information that can actually be used to hack into your in-game account. Once you complete the survey, there is, of course, no gifted virtual currency – and your account is potentially compromised.

So, if someone is offering you currency or rare in-game items for free and it seems too good to be true, then it probably is.

“Fraudsters know how to tap into the excitement surrounding gaming, whether it’s a rare item, exclusive content or a limited-time offer. By creating a false sense of urgency, they can pressure consumers into acting before they’ve had a chance to verify what’s real. Taking a moment to pause and validate an offer before clicking a link, sharing information or making a payment can be an effective way to stay protected,” says Dorrington.

Account stealing

As well as conning players out of virtual currency, fraudsters increasingly make a living from selling people’s full game-related online accounts. With players either accruing years’ worth of valuable virtual loot – or sitting on virtual currency – having someone hack into and then sell off their account is a very real threat.

Likewise for players using consoles, scammers seek to get into their accounts so that they can sell off the access to their victims’ often vast libraries of digital games.

A great way to prevent someone nabbing your hard-earned gear (or en is to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on all your gaming-related accounts, so that even if your email and passwords do get compromised in some way, you can still ensure that thieves still cannot bypass your 2FA

And finally …

Be vigilant about never sharing your account details online, be wary of phone or email-related phishing scams, and in the unlikely event of a widescale hack, be sure to swiftly change any tarnished passwords.

Find out more about the ways Visa can help protect you from fraud

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