As a gamer, you may frequently receive emails from game developers, publishers, or online gaming platforms – but you need to be careful to ensure those messages are legitimate.
Scammers use phishing emails to impersonate trusted gaming brands and steal account login credentials, payment methods, and personal data that can be used for identity theft.
Don’t assume that every gaming email you receive is from a real game company. Know how to spot a phishing email to keep your gaming accounts, financial info, and identity secure.
What is Gaming Account Phishing?
Phishing is a type of scam in which criminals send messages pretending to be from a real organization, like your online gaming platform.
The goal is to trick you into handing over your account login info, credit card number, personally identifiable information (PII), and more.
Here are a few examples of phishing email scams that target gamers:
- Account security/lockout: These emails appear to come from your gaming account and say you need to reset your password because of a security breach or to prevent getting locked out. But the link in the email takes you to a fake ‘password reset’ page that captures your login information for the scammer.
- Free gift: You might receive an email offering you a prize, such as a rare game item, character skins, or other prizes. But to ‘claim your reward,’ you need to click a link to sign into your account – and the fake login page will steal your username and password.
- Malware: An email offering a game, in-game item, or mod may instruct you to download and install a file. But the download actually contains malware that secretly infects your computer or device.
The Characteristics of a Phishing Email
Phishing emails often have a few key characteristics that make them easier to spot:
A sense of urgency
The red flag: Scammers want you to react quickly to phishing emails before you notice something suspicious. To do that, they often try to create a sense of urgency.
For example, they may warn you that your account is about to be shut down, or that a free game offer is about to expire unless you act now.
The fix: Don’t rush to comply with the instructions you receive in an email message, even if you think the source is legitimate.
Visit the company’s website directly from your browser and contact the customer service team to verify any message you’re not sure about.
Requests for login credentials or sensitive information
The red flag: No legitimate organization will ask you to provide your login credentials, Social Security number, one-time passcodes, and other sensitive information over email. While it’s possible a company may inform you that you need to reset your password, you can’t automatically trust the request.
The fix: Don’t ever respond to unsolicited requests for information. If you need to reset your password, do so by logging into your gaming account on your own or navigating to the company’s official login page and requesting a password reset. Never follow a link to reset your password directly from an email.
Attachments
The red flag: Phishing emails may contain attachments or links to file downloads, promising an exciting game mod, free game item, or another attractive prize. But the files will contain malware that infects your computer.
The fix: Never download any files or attachments sent to you via email, especially if the offer was unsolicited.
Other Red Flags of a Phishing Email
A few other warning signs that you’re looking at a phishing email include:
- Generic greetings: Many legitimate organizations know your name or gamer ID and will use it at the beginning of the message. Scammers may not have that information, so they might use generic greetings, such as “Hello Player.” This isn’t a 100% guarantee, so don’t assume the email is legitimate just because it uses your name.
- Errors and typos: An email containing grammatical or spelling errors is a big red flag. But keep in mind, scammers can use AI software that writes convincing emails error-free; don’t trust an email just because it looks professional.
- Mismatched sender address: The name of the person or organization sending the email might appear legitimate, but the sender address may be slightly misspelled or use a public email service like gmail.com. Check the sender address to see if it matches the official web domain of the game company.
- Inconsistent details: Always cross-check logos, colors and fonts, email addresses, links, and domain names contained within emails. If they don’t appear to match the official game company’s standards, it might be a phishing email.
- Unbelievable offers: Be wary of any email containing offers that are too good to be true, such as a large cash prize or a massive discount off a gaming rig. Phishing emails often dangle bait to lure unsuspecting victims.
- Lack of contact details: Most official emails will contain a way to get in contact with the game company. If you can’t find a real name, website, or contact information for the business, don’t take any action.
How to Protect Yourself from Phishing Attacks
Phishing attacks are more complex and sophisticated than ever. Criminals can use AI to create convincing emails that mimic the real messages gaming companies send to their players. For that reason, you should take proactive steps to protect yourself:
- Don’t act on emails: Emails that require you to take any action like resetting your password, clicking on links, or downloading files cannot be automatically trusted. Never provide your personal information when it is requested.
- Use official game storefronts: Only install games, mods, and in-game downloads from verified gaming marketplaces. Do not download files from emails, secondary websites, or direct messages.
- Two-factor authentication (2FA) for your online accounts: When you sign into your gaming account with your username and password, 2FA requires a one-time-use, temporary code delivered via authenticator app, text message, or email. This makes it more difficult for scammers to access your account, even if they have your login credentials.
- Use strong, unique passwords for every online account: Passwords should be at least 16 characters long and made up of random numbers, letters, and characters. Instead of using the same password several times, create unique passwords for every online account you have. You can use a password manager to simplify the process of creating strong passwords.
- Get antivirus software. Your computer and devices may already contain built-in antivirus software, but it doesn’t hurt to increase your security by signing up for a subscription service. Antivirus software can scan your systems for malware and help prevent you from downloading dangerous files.
- Report suspicious emails. If you receive a phishing email, report it to your email provider. This can help companies shut down scammers and prevent phishing emails from reaching your inbox in the future.
Gaming Account Phishing Emails: Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to common questions about gaming account phishing emails and how to spot them:
Can I get phished just by opening an email?
Most modern email clients block automatic attacks from triggering just by opening a message. However, clicking any link or downloading any file inside a phishing email can put your account and device at risk.
If you open a suspicious email, do not click anything and delete it.
How do I check if an email is legit or a phishing email?
Check the sender address for misspellings or unusual domains. Look for urgency, generic greetings, and requests for personal information or login credentials.
When in doubt, go directly to the game company’s official website to verify whether the message is real.
What if I accidentally opened a phishing email?
Opening an email alone is unlikely to harm you. If you clicked a link or downloaded a file, change your passwords immediately, run a malware scan on your device, and monitor your gaming and financial accounts closely for any unusual activity.
What are four warning signs that an email is a phishing email?
The four most common warning signs are: a sense of urgency pushing you to act fast, requests for your login credentials or personal information, a sender address that does not match the official company domain, and offers that seem too good to be true.
Gaming Account Phishing: Your Next Steps
Gaming account phishing emails may look convincing, especially when cybercriminals are increasingly using AI to create messages that look professional.
But the real goal is to capture your account login information, your payment methods, or your personal data. To protect yourself, know the common signs of a phishing email and take proactive steps to secure your devices and gaming accounts.
While good security practices are a great first line of defense, signing up for identity protection can give you extra peace of mind.
IdentityIQ® monitors your credit report and the web to look for signs of identity theft, and bundles antivirus software, password managers, and more to keep your gaming account more secure than ever.
