Fraudsters targeting online gamers

The fraud protection officials found the number of people asked to pay for purchases through gift cards has increased. Lately, the victims are asked not to pay through money transfer; they are asked to purchase gift cards and send them to others to pay their dues. 

Some gaming websites ask young players to follow a link and enter certain details to access free digital currency for playing the game. One can find adverts on social media channels where clients are asked to fill in their account details and log in to pages that create fake charges. 

In addition, they may ask for the phone number of other users in return for fake currencies. Sometimes, they offer free premium subscriptions or other earning or job opportunities; alternatively, they may charge users for such services.

If you are convinced that any family member has been scammed, encourage them to notify the local regulatory body to deactivate the gift cards before purchasing them.

In the case of steam cards, the trickster often poses as an official agent and convinces the victim to pay. In such cases, the requests for gift cards can be a part of a larger scam where the victims are handed over illegitimate funds to be handed over to other anonymous people over a certain period.

How does it happen?

Cards offer unauthorised means to pay, which a legal payment authority can never accept (e.g. wire transfer, bitcoins, VBucks (the currency of the game) and others). It provides a convenient mode of payment, less likely to be caught and difficult to trace compared to regular bank transfers. 

People are often asked to sign up for Vbucks, redeem the value and read the serial code on the back over the phone. Such crimes start with gaining the victim's trust, and then they take weeks or months to attract someone on the internet, where they may pose as someone they are not. 

Then, they ask the target to buy the cards and scratch & send the individual number on the voucher. Then, after draining its value, they ask the victim to buy more cards.

How do you identify a fake gift card scheme?

They ask the target to buy Steam cards – the online platform where people can download and play games or buy Amazon Vouchers or iTunes. People who buy the cards contact several people through the gaming apps, and some ask for help through fund transfers. 

If an unknown someone wants you to buy it and transfer the money to others, and if the transaction seems suspicious, you should challenge the other person and ask what the purchases are being made for. Always ask questions about free vouchers or credits offered through online activities.

The target may get a phone call from someone claiming to be the police or someone from the authority, who states they need you to pay to avoid a penalty, or they try to find other ways like they say a close someone will be arrested if the cards are not bought. 

Often, the victim is pressured to buy the gift cards in a hurry, and they make irrational decisions that they would not have made in normal circumstances. Anyone who gets any such call should suspect it to be a scam and report it to authorities. 

Also, one should know that any authorised individual or organisation will never ask to pay through gift cards. Moreover, they never ask for the PIN of your account or to withdraw money for some unknown transactions. Therefore, refuse all unusual requests for personal or bank details leak.