People are using stolen credit card details and the dark web to launder money via the purchase and re-selling of Fortnite’s in-game currency, V-Bucks.
Fortnite is the free-to-play battle royale game that took the world by storm in 2018. Despite Fortnite being free, its developers Epic made a whopping $3 billion in profit during that 12 month period alone. That’s thanks to millions of its players purchasing V-Bucks, Fortnite’s in-game currency. V-Bucks are used to purchase skins, gliders, and battle passes.
Fortnite has actually been a leader in the gaming industry when it comes to saying no to pay-to-play. Even though gamers can purchase items if they so choose, nothing bought from the in-game store will improve your performance in the game. It will simply make your avatar look more aesthetically pleasing. Unfortunately, Fortnite’s in-game currency is currently being used for something far more sinister, as reported by The Independent.
The British newspaper’s investigation revealed that identity thieves are using Fortnite’s V-Bucks as a clean and relatively easy way to launder money. Said thieves are using stolen credit card details to purchase V-Bucks. They then proceed to sell them, mainly on the dark web, for a massively discounted price. What’s worrying about this process is that Epic doesn’t seem to care that it is going on under its watch.
Those of you who play Fortnite have likely been met with the loading screen warning us to avoid V-Bucks scams. Other than that, there doesn’t seem to be anything in place to stop the illegal resale of V-Bucks from taking place. The developers could be identifying players with massive stockpiles of V-Bucks and looking into why they have so much. At the time of typing this, that process is not taking place.
Most wouldn’t view Fortnite and its in-game currency as a platform for organized crime, but some clearly have. With 200 million Fortnite players worldwide using a currency system that isn’t policed, it’s not surprising that identity thieves are taking advantage of it. Other than Epic taking action, the only thing players can do to combat what’s going on is to not buy V-Bucks from unauthorized sources. Stick with Fortnite’s online store and you’ll be fine.
