Online gaming scam offers kids free currency
“Lets me be realistic here, no one is going to want to give you free Roblux,” said Jace.
Avid video gamer Jace, is one of many online gamers who have been lured in by scammers offering free currency in a game.
“At the moment right now I do not have any and I went to multiple of those sites and none of them work,” said Jace.
Luckily for Jace, scams are a regular topic in his home, thanks to his mom Jeremy Johnson who works for the Better Business Bureau.
“Because I work with the Better Business Bureau, and he hears about scams and things, he saw that this was coming up, and he actually clicked on it, and he tried it, and then he realized that he gave them the information, and he didn’t get his game currency,” said Jace’s mom, Jeremy Johnson.
Free currency in a game is a tempting offer, especially for gamers who don’t have a credit card linked to their account like Jace, which prevents them from making any in-app purchases that would enhance their gaming experience
“For me as a mom of a child whose playing this game, I have chosen not to link that credit card because you know of reasons of not wanting that financial information to be compromised or my child to be racking up charges in a game,” said Johnson.
Unfortunately, gamers who fall for the scam are giving up much more than they could ever receive
“Important information, like your password, your username and sometimes even your email address,” said Jace.
Teaching your gamer about keeping their information private no matter the offer, can help them stay safe through all online activity, not just gaming.
“The Better Business Bureau just wants parents to be aware that even if you have set up all these parental controls and you feel that your kids are playing in a safe haven, even within these games, they could be being targeted,” said Johnson.
Johnson recommends using a ‘burner card’ which contains a specific amount of money on it but isn’t linked to any bank account if you want to put a card on your child’s game.
KIFI 2019
