Kids who play Fortnite and Roblox are the target of marketing scams
Recent research has revealed that threat actors target little kids playing Fortnite and Roblox. These actors trick kids into buying in-game currencies from unofficial sources.
According to the most recent research from WIRED, scam artists are advertising questionable deals and swindles, many of which are directed directly at youngsters. Threat actors are tricking children into installing potentially hazardous apps, viruses or disclosing their personal information.
Security researcher Zach Edwards tracked these website hijackings and fraudulent activity for more than three years.
Surprisingly, all of these events may be linked to affiliates associated with CPABuild, an advertising company. This US-based business allows users to sign up and use its platform while providing web traffic services to internet advertising. The fact that Edwards finds several compromised .gov and .org domains every day is concerning.
According to Edwards, this gang has become well-known for its skill in penetrating large-scale web infrastructure and using it to host a variety of frauds and exploitative activities. Both the general public and cybersecurity specialists have taken notice of these continuous website hacks due to their sheer size and audacity.
Researchers went after malicious PDFs
Researchers traced the malicious PDF fraud to servers run by the CPABuild, a US-registered advertising firm. When you Google the company name, you'll see YouTube tutorials on constructing landing sites with CPABuild's tools and making quick money, many of which include free in-game currency or content.
When consumers search for things like free skins and cash for Fortnite, Roblox, and other online games, the frauds appear as highly-ranked search results, which is pretty dangerous as it might be hard to notice the difference.
The fake results take you to PDFs with links that direct you to pages that demand your login and operating system in return for "generators" distributing free in-game currencies and etc. Additionally, they frequently request that consumers fill out questionnaires, provide personal data or download apps.
Watch out for these ChatGPT scams
According to Epic Games, v-Bucks, the in-game money in Fortnite, cannot be sold, traded, gifted, or traded in any official capacity. The creators of Roblox also warn users that it is likely fraud if any websites claim to be supplying its Robux cash for free.
Roblox does not permit the exchange of its Robux currency through third-party channels. Children who play Roblox, Fortnite, or other well-known games featuring in-app purchases should be warned by their parents to be careful where they enter their login information.
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