In the current Free2Play hit Fortnite, so-called “Free V-Buck” hacks are highly popular. They regularly circulate on YouTube and in large quantities. However, the hacks for free V-Bucks have now come under scrutiny. What is behind this, and what does the developer Epic say about it?
This is what the Free V-Buck hacks promise for Fortnite: The hacks promise players free V-Bucks. This is the premium currency for Fortnite. They guarantee enormous sums mostly through video ads on YouTube, which are simply transferred if one just fills out a survey or downloads an app. Such sites exist even in Germany, which even offer an “anti-ban protection” – how nice of them.
Does it work? No, it does not work. The sites you land on are fraudulent. You are supposed to enter your data somewhere or download an app. The person who directs you to these sites collects money for it, or does who knows what with the data. There are many hackers active in Fortnite, as we know. However, you never receive the promised V-Bucks, but are simply redirected from one survey to the next.
But there are videos showing it works. Those are fake. The high upvote counts of the videos are probably fake too. It is entirely possible to buy massive amounts of likes on YouTube. A whole industry has emerged around these “Free V-Buck” hacks.
Hacks prey on the criminal intent of often young Fortnite players
Why do so many click on these fake videos? Fortnite has a relatively young target audience that is not as accustomed to these internet mechanisms as experienced users. The videos play on the idea: This really works, but people claim it’s fake because Epic certainly doesn’t want these free V-Buck hacks to circulate. It plays on the criminal intent of the users.
The simple proof: If someone could generate V-Bucks, he would be foolish to make money in such a complicated way. He would simply sell the V-Bucks on eBay instead of through strange surveys.
YouTube seems to have problems recognizing these scam videos
Why can you see these videos on YouTube? The site Polygon investigated this. They rely on an anonymous source. The videos promoting such hacks are not “listed.” This circumvents the YouTube check. However, these videos can still circulate as ads. They boldly advertise with the image of the Fortnite YouTuber Ali-A (thumbnail).
Additionally, it seems YouTube is avoiding checking individual videos. However, YouTube denies this and refers to an “AI” that is investigating and improving. They claim to have highly qualified specialists reviewing content.
What does Epic say about this? Epic explicitly warns against these “hacks.” There is no way to give away V-Bucks or receive them except in the Fortnite shop or earn them in-game. Even those who legitimately raffle V-Bucks can only distribute gift cards. But no one can “transfer” V-Bucks to anyone in any form.
The methods on how to earn V-Bucks legally in Fortnite have been described:
