Playing your favorite online games is something that most people enjoy doing. However, there are a lot of people who are unaware of the fact that there are cybercriminals who want to steal from you or commit other crimes against you that might wreck your life. It is up to every gamer to make sure they are protecting themselves against the kind of gaming cybercrimes that one might want to commit against people online. Today we will look at some of the crimes that one might become the victim of.
Money Laundering Is a Big Gaming Cybercrime
It is important to examine the rise of online gambling in online games when thinking about gaming cyber crimes that take place these days. The online games that one might enjoy these days are going to be games that open up the possibility of using micro-transactions to make it possible for micro-transactions to be used to manipulate the game to commit money laundering.
Criminal lawyers are seeing cases of people moving money onto these online games to try to push money from illegitimate sources into the mainstream flow of funds. That is important because it means that there are people who are using payment processing services to bring money that shouldn’t be allowed into their real-world bank accounts into those accounts.
The reason to be aware of the money laundering situation in online games is that you must protect yourself against those who want to move their money from the real world into cyberspace. This could harm you because you might end up believing that someone is looking to do legitimate business with you, but then you discover that they are just trying to move their money illegally. Make sure you keep your defenses up for this kind of activity.
Improper Check of Identity
It is certainly the case that some games are more prone to see criminal activity on them right away. The games that have created a virtual currency of their own will always be ripe for criminals to come barging in and see what they can get away with. Not only that, but some are concerned that when a game does not take the proper steps to verify the identity of players, it might be possible that some players can get away with criminal activities that they shouldn’t.
Scanners are meant to verify that all players are truly who they say they are. This is important because some games have age restrictions regarding who should be permitted to play their games. Additionally, the games need to verify the identity of players because they need to clamp down on gaming cybercrimes. Knowing who the players are behind the screen names they use is critically important when it comes to avoiding some of the common gaming cybercrimes seen today. Sadly, some games prioritize getting as many players on their service as possible, and identities are not always verified. Find secure server options to protect yourself as you game online.
Traditional Fraud Crimes
some gaming cybercrimes aren’t all that modern or different from the crimes committed in the past. Some criminals might pretend to work in bail bonds as bail bond agents. They might make claims to other players about working in this industry and requiring payment to help free a loved one from jail.
People sometimes think they could never fall for a crime like this, but some people are duped by these types of crimes all the time. If one presents as a bondsman, one might confuse someone enough to send money their way. If that is the case, they can potentially rip off someone of their hard-earned money. It happens often, and players are left with no other options but to ensure that these tricks don’t fool them. They need to contact the game operators to inform them about any suspicious players making these kinds of claims or trying to shake money out of them in any way. It is something to keep an eye on, and it is something that players should be aware of as a problem in some of these games.
Players Who Claim to Sell Services
Some video game players will sometimes look at trying to offer other players services in the real world. It can be a legitimate thing in some respects, but other players might offer something like window tinting services as an offer to them in the real world. Those who offer something like this might say that they want upfront payment, but they have no intention of providing those services in reality.
It is never a good idea to offer upfront payment for the services another player provides in the game. You don’t honestly know who these players are, no matter how much it might seem like you do. Many people say that they feel like they know people from a game they play all the time, but it isn’t confirmed until you meet them in person.
If you do decide that you like to meet someone from the game in the real world to purchase something from them (such as racing parts) or obtain a service from them (such as the repair of an overhead door), then you should do so in a public area where other people are around. You do not want to take any chances with potentially meeting someone you don’t know. Being in public is the safest way to go about things.
Hacking for Payment Information
A type of case that criminal defense attorney has seen frequently in recent years are cases of hackers trying to get into accounts and steal payment information. Many players store their payment information on their online accounts to make purchases easily in the game. It is great for players to be capable of buying the parts of the game that they want to own.
These days, many game developers work at making their games enjoyable and making it possible for players to purchase additional items in the game that they could not otherwise have access to. It is essential to consider keeping only a payment method that is not your primary account on your game.
If you leave an account with a significant amount of money, you need to be concerned about hackers gaining access to your primary accounts that have most of your money on them. That is a risk that you probably do not want to take. It would be best if you were sure that you are doing everything in your power to keep payment information off of the accounts you are concerned might be vulnerable to.
Gambling Fraud Schemes
many games offer gambling in them these days. Players appreciate the opportunity to take a chance on something within the game, which is a major revenue increase for the game designers. Thus, it is important to ensure you understand that there is a risk that you could find yourself in a gambling fraud situation.
There are some instances in which the game allows the players to create aspects of the game for themselves. If that is the case, you need to be extremely careful about the games that you play within the game. This is because you never know exactly what design features a player has designed into their gambling game. There may be aspects of their game that are set up to make you lose far more often than you ever should. Some games might be set up so you cannot win them.
People who are the victim of gambling fraud are still the victim of gaming cybercrimes, but they won’t necessarily feel like they are, and they might have a problem proving the gaming cybercrimes that they are victims of. That said, some people are constantly pulling these scams inside of computer games.
Catfishing Scams
Not every one of the gaming cybercrimes that occurs has to do with a financial motive. Some people become victims of gaming cybercrimes that have to do with manipulating one’s emotions. It is something that people sometimes want to do to manipulate others or get some kind of satisfaction out of pretending to be something that they are not.
No one deserves to be treated this way, but some people will still pull these types of scams from time to time. It is important to ensure you keep your guard up when speaking with anyone else on a gaming site. It would be best if you remembered at the end of the day that they are strangers who could potentially commit gaming cybercrimes against you. This doesn’t mean that every interaction you have with someone in a game will be terrible. That said, you must keep your guard up at all times.
Child Predators
One of the types of gaming cybercrimes that needs as much attention as possible is that child predators will sometimes lurk in the various online games out there. These individuals understand that many children spend a significant amount of time on these games, and predators know that they can access children in this way.
It is hazardous to have children interact with those who want to do them harm in any way. It is essential to ensure that you pay attention to who your children are speaking with online, and you might want to put up some walls around who they are allowed to interact. You can’t take a chance with something like this because predators will do everything possible to ensure they can get near your children.
It is important to ensure that all parents have spoken with their children about the fact that they must be careful about who they interact with online. For young children, it is ideal to ensure that they understand that they need to only talk to the people they truly know in the real world. If they are talking with those that you do not personally know as their parent, then that is a problem.
Stealing Gamer Accounts
Some criminals simply want to steal your account and all of the hard work that you have put into the game. They might take away your accomplishments and make the game less enjoyable for you. This is something that should also be recognized as a crime against you. It is not fair that you have worked as hard as you have to build up your status in the game only to have it ripped away from you. Fortunately, there are lawyers that will happily address this issue with you, and they can help you get your account back as necessary. Make sure you consider the work that these individuals do and how it can impact your life in significant ways today.
Game Manipulation
Some gaming cybercrimes have smaller stakes than others, but some people are manipulating the games themselves to ensure that they always win. This can matter if there are some stakes in the game itself. If you realize that this is happening in a game you are playing, then it is time to take action and try to get yourself in a better position to make a case that someone has cheated you out of a win that should have been yours. Again, some might consider this not the biggest deal in the world, but winners should be able to claim their winnings fairly.
The world is beginning to wake up to the dangers that exist in some games. The fact that there are people who will continue to commit crimes in these games is undoubtedly true. Some of those crimes might cheat you out of a small amount of money, others might cause more devastating impacts on your life. Regardless, you are entitled to some recourse when something like this happens, and you shouldn’t try to brush away the events that have transpired to put you in the spot where you are at. You deserve to know that your game is fair and on the up and up. Otherwise, why will you continue to play a game like this? Most can see right through a game that is cheating them, and they aren’t going to be too eager to continue playing.
