In Fortnite , advertisements for scammers are now seen on the channels of the biggest streamers on Twitch. The scammers offer V-Bucks and use clips from top Fortnite streamers like Tfue, Nickmercs, or TimTheTatman. The fraudsters manipulate Twitch’s clip system.
What is the problem? Many Fortnite fans regularly watch clips of their favorite streamers on Twitch. However, these clips are not created by the streamers themselves. Others edit these short clips from the hours-long streams together and then upload them.
The clips are given a title and are attributed to the respective streamer on Twitch.
Usually, this is quite cool when you see how Tfue kills three of the best Fortnite players in the world by himself. The short clips are easy to consume, spread quickly, and help streamers become known or even more famous.
Now, however, a site that wants to “sell” V-Bucks spreads such clips, names the title after its own URL, and thus gets free advertising. Because anyone who looks for clips about Fortnite immediately discovers the URL of this site.
The URL of the scam website is thus shown publicly to thousands of stream users – free advertising.
TimTheTatman and Tfue serve as carriers
How widespread is this? When you look at the “last 7 days” of Fortnite clips, you find these “fake clips” three times among the top 20 results, with TimTheTatman serving as a carrier. The actual clips are unremarkable: The tattooed streamer is essentially just flexing his hands and talking about what he will do next.
Further down the top list, clips with the URL and four well-visible green dollar signs appear with Nickmercs.
With Tfue, the currently largest Fortnite streamer on Twitch, a clip reached over 100,000 views. However, the clips with Tfue are a bit older and are therefore not visible in the “last 7 days” anymore.
The Twitch system helps spread free advertising
What is the nasty part? Twitch is set up to frequently offer players these clips. When you watch a clip of a Fortnite streamer, other clips related to Fortnite are offered below.
This way, Twitch’s systems are providing these fraudsters with free advertising right to the target audience they want to reach.
Epic warns: Don’t do this
What is it with V-Buck scams? V-Bucks are the currency of Fortnite. There are numerous fraudsters trying to lure unsuspecting players with “free V-Bucks”.
Behind these schemes are traps designed to make players watch endless ads or worse: The scammers want to access the players’ information. Thus, accounts are hacked, which are then sold.
Epic expressly warns against using such sites. But apparently, especially younger Fortnite players have fallen for the trick – and that for years now.
