Some Fortnite gamers’ accounts may be compromised. If you are charged for services and add-ons you have not requested, that’s an alarm. In fact, Epic Games are aware of the malice. If Epic Games asks you to use two-step verification (2FA), comply.
Dark web forums take advantage of your gaming enthusiasm. It’s addictive, and you are always in for an offer or loyalty program. When you sign in for Fortnite subscriptions, you give out personal information-name, email id, credit cards, location, etc. The doxxers send malware your way and collect the information. The tools and offers you get entice you to surrender the information they are mining.
Most of these issues arise due to your recklessness. Do you read to comprehend the privacy policies of the gaming platforms you subscribe to? How about your cookie settings? How long do you review them? Do you clear your browsing history? Have you been checking updates for your Fortnite series?
You will learn whether you can get doxxed on Fortnite and the various ways to mitigate the threats, vulnerabilities, and risks in this post.
So that you may believe… I have fallen victim to on-screen doxxing amid a war but severally. Yet last week, as I engaged the Fortnite Battle Royale, some random guy dropped my phone number and an old address. I had long forgotten the address. Crazy, right? It seems it’s not just an IP search. This kept me wondering how the script kiddy doxxed me. And how could I avoid this?
Read on.
What is doxxing in gaming?
You agree with me that gaming is gaining popularity every day. From gambling to Xbox consoles to e-sports, fans and gamers sign in for rewards, fun, offers, bonuses, and premium games. Every bit of information you give out on-and-offline displays who you are. No wonder doxxers dubbed gaming accounts as hotcakes.
Your Fortnite duo or squad partner can collate your credentials one by one as you interact. This happens across all the gaming platforms- GTA, CS: GO, etc. So your opponent or any other gamer who can log into the forum can do anything with your information. That’s how doxxing in gaming occurs.
A Redditor, /u/DestroyerDain, once received a doxxing threat on Fortnite, “So I got added by some random dude, and he said that my personal account was his friends (complete bs) and now after talking with him, he has threatened to doxx me. What should I do in this situation?”
As you will learn later in this post, there are several ways in which your information is mined and processed ready for doxxing.
How can you get doxxed on Fortnite?
There are several ways in which doxxers can compromise your anonymity. Here are some of them;
Through IP and ISP spoofing
In the anecdote above, you read how I got my old address dropped in my on-screen chat. The doxxer stole my IP address. Social engineering is their reasonable step when the doxxer has the address (stolen from the Fortnite account).
They can cun your internet service provider (ISP) to give them more of your information. A single masked call made to the ISP, pretending to belong to the Fortnite/Epic Games tech support team, the doxxer requests your information;
- Real name
- Phone numbers
- Email address
- Date of birth
- Physical addresses
Through social media
Here’s an excerpt from the Epic Games, the Fortnite streaming platform, “And if you choose to link your Epic account with your account on a third-party social media (like Facebook), gaming (like Steam), or other similar website or service, or if you interact with an ad for one of the Epic Services on an external website or service, the company that operates that website or service may share some information with Epic in accordance with their privacy practices.”
The information collected includes your place of work, location, visuals, friends, schools attended, family members, etc. Do you still think that your online privacy is okay? It’s high time you create unique passwords and usernames for every social account you own.
Through data brokers
To get your information, a doxxer can spend their bucks on data brokers like PeopleFinder. These data brokers collect your publicly available repositories- e-citizen, voter registry, loan apps, e-commerce sites, and fellow data brokers. Fortnite clearly states, in its policy and privacy page, that they can share your information “publicly. For example, your display name, content you create or share, basic game statistics, and other similar data may generally be accessible to others.”
Through phishing
The PC and console Fortnite Battle Royale versions allow for unmoderated, live chat between gamers. Phishing involves disguising interaction that lures you into giving out your credentials. Whatever information the doxxer acquires, they can use them against your reputation or further malice.
How to avoid getting doxxed on Fortnite
Here’s to your anonymity at Fortnite or Epic Games and other gaming sites. It’s so traumatizing to get doxxed. Worst still, you can’t imagine how it hurts to get doxxed by a stranger. Read on to learn these tactics.
1. Use a VPN or proxy to safeguard your IP address
A VPN or proxy hides your IP address when you are online. You get connected to a secure server before your public streaming internet. Thus any doxxer spying on you when you’re active on Fortnite sees the VPN or proxy server IP address instead. Yours remain hidden. You can get free or premium tools. These tools are even more helpful when you are using unsecured public WiFi. Others like Avast SecureLine VPN can make your visible online location virtual.
2. Run away from third-party logins
Fortnite can request, not force, you to log into their account with Google, Facebook, etc. These platforms can share your details with Fortnite. That is another avenue for doxxers to collect more of your information. You may fall victim to data breaches. Imagine what would happen if your passwords leaked.
3. Ensure your social media presence is private
You share a lot of your information on social media, especially those that third parties require you to log in to their accounts. You are not intimidated to share; it’s deliberate. You can use a burner username. Avoid adding details like date of birth, photos with addresses in the background, family members, workplaces, etc.
4. Request your online information removal
Data brokers collate and sell your information. They have your browser history, online transactions, and much more. In case of fatal data breaches like the Equifax data breach, your information might leak. You can contact the brokers directly to remove your information though it will take longer. And you cannot identify all of them. Avast BreachGuard can quickly help you monitor the dark web for any leaks. It also helps remove the information.
Conclusion
Online gaming platforms are becoming hotcakes for the doxxers. Gamers share a lot about themselves. Doxxers can deploy such techniques as phishing to quickly gather your information on Fortnite. Yet you can stick to the above ways to avoid getting doxxed. For any information about doxxing, visit our page here.
