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A new study highlights serious concerns regarding gaming scams that specifically target children. It reveals the deceptive tactics used by scammers to exploit young gamers, putting them at risk. The research emphasizes the need for increased awareness among parents and guardians to protect their children from these fraudulent activities. Recommendations for safeguarding children in the gaming environment are also discussed, urging vigilance in monitoring gaming interactions.
Cybercriminals are preying on young gamers, taking advantage of their naivety for financial gain, according to a report released Friday by Mobile Premier League (MPL), a widely-used gaming platform.
MPL highlighted that gaming scams pose significant dangers to children’s safety, privacy, and financial security, particularly since younger individuals are more susceptible.
The report indicated that cybercriminals might use personal information for identity theft, access bank accounts, or engage in online harassment and cyberbullying. Moreover, malware infections could compromise device security, exposing children to additional hazards.
“Children are especially vulnerable because they have a harder time distinguishing between reality and fantasy compared to adults,” explained Alex Ambrose, a policy analyst with the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a research and public policy organization based in Washington, D.C.
“Kids might confuse fictional immersive experiences with real-life scenarios,” she told TechNewsWorld. “This confusion is a typical aspect of a child’s cognitive and emotional development, but it raises questions about how immersive experiences like gaming could worsen this confusion.”
Kimberly Sutherland, vice president of fraud and identity strategy at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, a global data analytics and services firm, noted that scammers target children for various reasons. “They may be targeted to access their parents’ information, or unfortunately, they’re often targeted for more harmful purposes, such as online sexual crimes and predatory behavior,” she told TechNewsWorld.
7 Million Attacks
Earlier this year, cybersecurity products and services company Kaspersky reported detecting over seven million attacks related to popular children’s games in 2022, marking a 57% increase in attempted attacks from the previous year.
The games with the highest number of targeted users included those designed for younger children—Poppy Playtime and Toca Life World—which cater to kids aged three to eight.
“What raises even more concern is that sometimes children prefer to interact with strangers on gaming platforms rather than on social media,” wrote Andrey Sidenko and Anna Larkina on the Kaspersky Daily website.
“In some games, unmoderated voice and text chats play a significant role in the experience,” they added. “As more young people go online, criminals can build trust virtually, similar to how they might entice someone in person—by offering gifts or friendship.”
“Once they lure a young victim into trusting them, cybercriminals can obtain personal information by suggesting they click on a phishing link, download a malicious file disguised as a game mod for Minecraft or Fortnite, or even groom them for more sinister purposes,” they explained.
Sutherland pointed out the similarities between how children and adults are targeted. “It ultimately revolves around trust and often starts with grooming,” she said. “Examining social media sites where individuals share information could apply to both children and adults.”
“Using fake information to create profiles—like phony photos—to connect with the child or adult is a tactic used against both groups,” she added. “Thus, the process of establishing that relationship is quite similar for both adults and children.”
Scammers Favor Roblox
With the rise of artificial intelligence, generating misleading information for predators has become easier. “Artificial intelligence facilitates the creation of fictitious identities,” Sutherland noted. “The situation was already problematic, and AI makes it even harder to detect fake profiles and voices representing minors.”
However, fraudsters also exploit the differences between children and adults when designing their scams. “Scammers employ psychological tricks to earn their targets’ trust and deter them from asking too many questions,” explained Ashley Johnson, a senior policy manager at the ITIF.
“These tricks may be particularly effective on certain populations, such as children, due to their less developed psychological state compared to adults,” she told TechNewsWorld.
The MPL report also highlighted the prevalence of phishing attempts disguised as legitimate gaming websites or updates, which trick children into downloading malware or revealing sensitive information.
According to Kaspersky data, phishing pages created by cybercriminals primarily targeted Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, and Apex Legends games. In 2022, more than 878,000 phishing pages were created for these four games, with 823,000 specifically targeting Roblox.
How Parents Can Protect Kids From Gaming Scams
Ambrose argued that developers must balance creating engaging games with prioritizing children’s welfare.
“The video game industry, whether voluntarily or due to potential regulatory requirements, has introduced various measures to mitigate the negative impacts of gambling-like mechanics, such as loot boxes,” she said.
“These measures include setting default spending limits of $0 for underage accounts, disclosing every item in a loot box’s pool alongside its drop rate, and imposing hourly and daily purchase limits on loot boxes for individual users.
“In immersive games, like AR/VR experiences, the expectation is that they will support and host betting apps,” she added. “Therefore, it’s crucial to understand that children may interact with these platforms and, as a result, may encounter gambling-like situations and behaviors.”
The MPL report provided the following recommendations for parents to safeguard their children from online gaming scams:
“Limiting online access for most children is the best strategy,” Sutherland emphasized. “Parents should utilize parental controls to monitor usage and access, restricting children to safe online spaces—age-appropriate gaming and social media sites.”
“Establishing clear boundaries, limiting screen time, and ensuring they access age-appropriate platforms and games is essential,” she concluded.
For questions or comments write to writers@bostonbrandmedia.com
Source: technewsworld
