We are conscious of a couple of things when playing online games. One of them is that we are playing well, making progress, and depending on the game – ranking, getting on the leaderboard and winning matches or tournaments.
The other is that the game we are playing is safe to play. It can seem pretty obvious for most prominent games that they are safe. You’ll notice that there are specific markers on the website, and they have a good track record.
Almost all online games have things you can buy to upgrade, or you might need to add cash to your account to play the games you enjoy.
In some countries, you can buy loot boxes and more in-game, while in others, it is banned. Even if you have been playing games for years online, what is essential is that you are aware of how you can stay safe online.
It doesn’t matter if you are signing up for a brand new casino website or joining the thousands of players who play the most popular MOBA, DOTA, or MMORPGs – here is what you are looking for on their websites to keep your cash safe.
What are the risks of online gaming?
A few areas have a higher risk of fraud, and the gaming industry is one of them. In the last twenty years, almost every household will have a PC capable of gaming, a console, and a mobile device that can play games.
While the gamers who use them will play differently, there is always the chance they can be taken advantage of.
The gaming industry has been highly exposed to fraud for many years, and as technology improves, the risk of a scam that looks real increases.
There are around 3 billion gamers active across the globe, and many of them will be playing games that require you to purchase lives, accessories, subscriptions, or casinos and bingo – add money to the account to play.
Without the proper precautions, a play could fall victim to sophisticated phishing scams.
Here are a few ways that you may be at risk:
Phishing – where someone will create links, pay portals, and websites designed to trick the player into giving card details.
Account takeovers – where your account is hacked, everything is stolen, and/or traded in the game.
Befriending – in-game, people will befriend players to steal information.
Here are a couple of things you will see on a legitimate website.
Valid Licenses
Although all websites that offer accounts and gameplay will likely be required to hold some licenses, this one is more specific to casino websites.
Before you sign up for an account with any casino or online betting website, take some time to look for any licenses.
One of the first places you will look for any license information is at the foot of the casino website. If you don’t see anything there, you can head to the privacy policy pages or the terms and conditions pages.
When a casino website is licensed, you will see a license number; you can take that number and contact the licensing body to crosscheck it.
It might seem like a long step, but you will regret not taking this action if you later find that they aren’t licensed and get scammed.
You can also head to an affiliate site like Gambling.com who list all of the legal and licensed casino sites available online in your country.
Username and Password
While it is easier to use the same combination for everything you do online, this is one of the fastest ways to get hacked.
Instead, make sure that your username has nothing to do with your real life. So avoid using anything with your birth year, initials, or location.
It can be tricky to remember them all when it comes to passwords, but they mustn’t be too easy to guess. Use a combination of letters in lowercase and uppercase, numbers (not in sequence), and some other characters.
Most websites have an indicator bar for how strong your password is.
Pay portal
When we buy things online, we should always aim to use the method that gives us the most protection in most cases that come from credit cards and PayPal.
Take a look at the various payment options available on the website. Although you can’t be sure that they are legitimate, a website with stretched or otherwise incorrect logos is usually something you should avoid.
Skrill, Payoneer, Stripe, and PayPal offer the user extra protection so that if you are scammed, they will work swiftly to locate your money and return it to you.
General Security Measures
The general security measure you are looking for is the ability to create and manage your username and password. If you are issued a password, change it immediately.
Where possible, add two-factor authentication to the log-in process. This will mean that you will be alerted to someone trying to gain access, even if you are hacked. With two-factor authentication, you will be texted or emailed a code that will allow access to your account. Even in the case of an attempted hacking, the 2FA can prevent it.
When using any website, but certainly those, you need to add your name, address, birth date, and financial information – loo for a padlock in the URL bar. The padlock tells the user that the website has an SSL certificate.
An SSL encrypts the information between you and the website.
Never Share
No matter what type of game you are playing, never share any personal information with the people you meet online. At the very least, nothing like your name, address, and other identifying information could be used for bad.
Even if other people share their information with you, don’t hesitate to share your own in return.
Although making friends within the games you play is excellent, you must protect your information.
No matter what types of games you play online, keep your information safe, add an extra later of protection 2FA, and never share your personal information.