Fortnite (PC, PS4 & Xbox One) is currently in the spotlight of hackers and thieves. Hundreds of player accounts have been hacked. If the accounts were linked to credit cards or PayPal, money was also stolen. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid this.
Fortnite is currently a mega-hit with millions of players. Some of them may not be having much fun in the game right now. Several hackers are on the loose, attacking Fortnite accounts en masse.
The victims often realize they have been hacked only when suddenly hundreds of Euros for alleged Fortnite purchases appear on their credit card bills or PayPal statements.
Russian Hackers on the Prowl
The hackers seem to be coming from Russia, as victims have suddenly seen names in Cyrillic script appear in their contacts or purchase confirmations were in Russian. It is unclear how the hackers accessed the victims’ accounts.
Well-known hacking techniques like phishing or cracking weak passwords are conceivable. Epic Games assumes that the victims had poor password protection. There are no known security vulnerabilities at Epic itself.
What to Do When Your Account is Hacked?
If you notice that your account has been hacked, you should immediately contact Epic Games Support. You should also contact your credit card company or PayPal and temporarily freeze your account. Your Fortnite account can also be temporarily suspended by support until everything is clarified.
Then scan your computer thoroughly for viruses and change your password on Fortnite. For previous victims, support was able to help quickly, but it takes a few days for the money to be returned and the account to be unlocked.
How to Protect Yourself from Hackers
To prevent a hack from happening in the first place, you should adhere to the following tips:
- Use secure and unique passwords for Fortnite
- Download Fortnite only from the official Epic site. There are numerous shady sites that may want to trick you
- Don’t fall for any “Get free V-Bucks” scams – those are traps
- Use the new two-factor authentication that you can set up in your account settings.
- Regularly check your statements with PayPal, credit cards, etc. This way, you’ll quickly see if you’re missing money.
Epic Games is already working on better security methods. Additionally, there is an official guide with even more tips for hacker protection on Epic’s Fortnite page.
Fortnite players face danger not only in the game. A player was stabbed in a dispute over a seat in an internet café in Oberhausen
