How many times have you been playing a video game and getting an invitation to join an online group? Or perhaps you got invited to an in-game auction house with promises of rare items that can only be found there? If this has happened to you, then chances are you’ve experienced the side of gaming that most people don’t see. When playing MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games), it can sometimes be hard to tell who or what you’re dealing with, and this can lead players into some nasty situations that they never thought would happen to them. We come up with some insights after talking to the two techies Faisal Abidi and Raghib Khan. Let’s read and keep yourself updated
What are the signs of a scam?
You can avoid being a victim of a scam or fraud
by knowing what to look for. If you are playing a game and are promised high
returns if you make a deposit, it’s likely too good to be true. A common sign
of fraud is getting an out-of-the-blue email promising money or prizes with no
strings attached. Email is one of the most common ways scammers attack people
online—always be cautious when clicking links inside emails, especially those
offering freebies.
Where are scams commonly found?
Spam emails are most commonly sent with links
or attachments. If you get an email from a sender that you don’t recognize,
delete it. Look for From: or To: fields that contain unusual
characters—spammers often spoof their addresses and disguise them as local or
legitimate sources. And double-check your spam filter regularly; it could be
hiding a scam message from you by misidentifying it as spam itself.
Can you trust reviews?
Nowadays, you can’t go wrong with a game that
has received thousands of positive user reviews. On average, we can expect
almost 95% of a game’s reviews to be genuine (the rest are spam and fraud).
That said, scammers are always trying to take advantage of innocent gamers
looking for a good time online. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably
is. Check if other people have reviewed or covered your game on major sites
like IGN and GameSpot.
How do I avoid getting scammed when buying games?
We’ve all been there before. You’re ready to
buy that hot new game, but then it hits you: What if I get ripped off? With
online fraud so rampant these days, there are scammers out there waiting for
any opportunity to dupe people like you.
Can you avoid scam sites with an ad blocker?
Absolutely. There are plenty of ad-blocking
browser extensions available that filter out scam ads as they appear. However,
blocking scammers just isn’t enough—you also need to be wary of social
engineering scams (that is, when a scammer gets you to believe they’re someone
they’re not). Fortunately, there are plenty of anti-social engineering
techniques out there that can save you from yourself.
Can you avoid scam sites with Chrome plugins?
Although you may be familiar with a great many websites and gaming companies that are legitimate, there are an enormous number of sites and services out there that claim to do something they cannot deliver on.