“Video games are becoming more
popular, more advanced and more convenient to play,” said Secretary of State Walter T.
Mosley. “With games available to people of all ages on almost
all digital devices and popular virtual platforms, consumers should take
practical steps to protect their personal data and finances from scammers. And
parents and caregivers should take extra precautions to educate their children
about potential risks, parental controls and healthy gaming habits.”
Follow these tips to help
ensure you and your family can enjoy your favorite games while keeping your
money and privacy safe:
Protect your personal
information: Never
share personal information, including your date of birth, social security
number, family names or account information, with other gamers online. Scammers
can pose as fellow players in chat rooms and virtual worlds. Block and report
any online accounts that try to get your personal information.
Be wary of scammers and
phishing attempts: Be wary of offers for discounted or rare
virtual items to purchase outside of the official game platform. These items
are often sold on social media and apps. Don’t click on suspicious links or
download attachments from unfamiliar emails.
Never download items
other users share: Never
download any files shared by other players since they may have malicious
software. Downloading these files or opening links could leave you vulnerable
to hacking attempts or fraud.
Review privacy
settings: Review
device settings and find out what information gaming systems collect. Many
gaming companies make money on player data and often buy, sell and trade this
information between companies. Avoid linking personal social media or other
accounts to your gaming system to minimize how much of your personal data is
shared.
Pay attention to
in-game purchases that can pose financial risks: Some gamers earn money by selling their
in-game currency or accounts to other players. Players may also buy, trade or
sell items outside of individual games. This practice is known as real-money
trading, where players exchange intangible game assets for real currency or
real-world money. There are several risks involved, and consumers can lose
money if they get scammed by fraudulent sellers.
- Avoid
in-game currency scams: scammers offer to sell in-game
currency or items for real money or personal information, but the
transactions are fake or the items are stolen. Never release private
information in exchange for in-game currency.
- Beware
of fake online stores: scammers create online stores
selling in-game items, but the products are either fake or non-existent.
Verify that the online store is legitimate by reviewing that the URL
begins with “https” instead of http, and/or the browser displays a padlock
icon next to the URL. Check the contact page and the website’s privacy
policy. Websites should have adequate information about privacy, terms and
conditions of use.
- Understand
how much in-game currency is worth in real-life dollars: Many
platforms use in-game currencies that players can buy using real-world
money. Make sure you understand the exchange rate of game currency to
real-world dollars before making these purchases to properly budget
real-world money you spend in games.
o
Example:
If a player wants to buy a skin that costs 37,500 in-game coins and buys 50,000
coins for $30 of real-world money, that skin would cost the player $22.50 in
real-world money.
- Only
transfer real-life money as you need it:
This can help you avoid being left with unused game currency without a way
to transfer it back out to real-world dollars. Since game currency is
often sold at different exchange rates, it’s easy to miscalculate and end
up buying more game currency than you intend.
- Do
not store your credit card information on your console or device:
While keeping your credit card information saved for purchases can be
convenient, this can leave the door open for fraud. This is also a best
practice to avoid accidental purchases.
READ MORE: 50 ways New Yorkers can save money
Protect Kids from Video
Game Scams:
These
controls can include features like:
o
Game rating restrictions:
This limits the games which children can access to games with age-appropriate
ratings.
o
Managing internet access:
This can include muting or disabling online chatrooms and allowing parents to
approve their child’s online friend lists. Some systems also allow parents to
disable internet access overall.
o
Time Limits:
This allows parents to limit the days, times and length of time their child can
game.
o
Multiple Profiles:
Creating multiple profiles can allow parents to set parental controls for
children’s profiles while maintaining free access on their own profiles.
o
Restrictions on in-game purchases:
Most gaming systems allow users to require a password in order to make in-game
purchases.
- Monitor
your child’s in-game spending habits:
Children can be especially vulnerable to tactics gaming companies use to
encourage more spending. Since managing video game currency is the first
experience many children may have with making financial choices, they can
also provide great learning opportunities about earning, saving and
managing currency.
- Talk
to your child: Parental controls are valuable
tools, but the most important way to make sure your child has safe,
healthy video game habits is having conversations to set expectations,
learn about what games they’re playing and who they play with and explain
the importance of online safety.
Video
& audio of Secretary Mosley providing Video Game Safety Tips is available here.
Follow
the New York Department of State on Facebook, X and Instagram and check in every Tuesday for more practical tips
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The New York State Division
of Consumer Protection provides voluntary mediation between a consumer and a
business when a consumer has been unsuccessful at reaching a resolution on
their own. The Consumer Assistance Helpline 1-800-697-1220 is available Monday
to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, excluding State Holidays, and consumer
complaints can be filed at any time at www.dos.ny.gov/consumerprotection. The Division can also be reached via X at @NYSConsumer or Facebook.