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Cybercriminals Target Many Young Gamers, Check Out Their Modes

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia — Cybersecurity company Kaspersky found that the exploitation of popular video games for children by cybercriminals increased by 30 percent in the first half of 2024 compared to the second half of 2023.

Kaspersky analyzed the security risks in games for young players and found that more than 132,000 users had been targeted by cybercriminals.

Kaspersky researchers researched and analyzed threats disguised as popular children’s video games in the period from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.

During that period, Kaspersky security solutions detected more than 6.6 million attempted attacks, in which cybercriminals exploited children’s game brands as bait.

Of the 18 games studied, most of the attacks targeted Minecraft, Roblox, and Among Us.

“Throughout our research, we see that attacks on children are a common vector of cybercriminal activity. That is why cyber hygiene education and the use of trusted cybersecurity solutions are a ‘must’ in building children’s safety in the online environment,” said Vasily M. Kolesnikov, a security expert at Kaspersky in a statement on Monday (9/9).

According to Kaspersky data, more than 3 million attempted attacks under the guise of Minecraft were launched during the period. Most likely, cybercriminals choose this method of attack based on the popularity of the game among players, as well as the ability of gamers to use cheats and mods.

Since most mods and cheats are distributed on third-party websites, attackers disguise malware by pretending to be these applications.

Kaspersky said cybercriminals are also increasingly using AI to automate and personalize phishing attacks that are more likely to attract young gamers.

At the same time, new sophisticated phishing kits created with automated tools continue to appear on the dark web, allowing more and more attackers to spread the most effective phishing sites that imitate popular gaming platforms.

One of the most common scams in video games is the offer to receive a new skin or armor for the player’s character that improves the hero’s skills. Some skins are common, while others are very rare and therefore more attractive.

In their research, Kaspersky experts found an example of a scam that exploited the popular game Valorant and the famous YouTuber Mr. Beast.

By choosing this vlogger and using his photo, the scammers aimed to attract children and lure them into the scam.

In order to receive the Mr. Beast skin, the young gamer was asked to enter the login and password for their game account, which allowed the credentials to be potentially stolen by fraudsters.

Another popular scam is the offer to receive in-game currency.

In one of the scams discovered, criminals exploited the Pokémon GO brand by asking users to enter their game account name. Next, they were asked to take a survey to prove that they were not bots.

After the survey was completed, they were redirected to a fake website, usually promising free prizes or raffles. This is where the real scam begins.

The scammers are not actually after personal data like credit card details, but they are using the guise of games to lure users into other scams—involving fake downloads, prize claims, or other fake offers.

The whole process is a clever way to lead users to other, more dangerous scams under the guise of legitimate verification steps.

SOURCE : CNN INDONESIA