In recent weeks, several Fortnite game players have complained that their accounts have been hacked.
The users of Epic's popular shooter Fortnite detailed different kinds of fraud, where charges for things like V-Bucks (Fortnite's in-game currency) and paid game 'Save the World' were showing up despite players not having purchased those things.
Epic, in a statement, said it was aware of Fortnite accounts getting hacked using "well-known hacking techniques" and that it was working with affected players and will presumably offer them refunds.
In case you're one of the affected Fortnite players, here is what you can do to prevent a recurrence.
Multi-factor authentication
Fortnite has Two-Factor Sign In to provide an additional security measure for your account. If you opt into Two-Factor Sign In, Fortnite will send you an email with a code after you enter your password. Enter the code from the Epic email sent to you, and then you will be logged into your account. You will be prompted for the two-factor sign in code the first time you login after enabling the feature if you use a new device, clear browser cookies, or it's been over 30 days since you last signed in.
To opt into Two-Factor Sign In, go to your Account Settings and click on the Password & Security tab. Scroll to the bottom and click the Enable Two-Factor Sign In button.
There's No Such Thing As A Free V-Buck
There are many sites offering V-Bucks for free. All they would ask is your username, maybe answer a survey question or two, and you'll get as many free V-Bucks as you'd like.
Those sites aren't real.
They want you to enter your account credentials into their page or else encourage you to click down a chain of advertising referrals, getting click-through advertising money for the person running the site.
If you've tried one of them in the past, please change your password as soon as possible.
Don't share accounts
While sometimes you might struggle to complete that quest and would love for a friend or family member to help but please do not share your account information with others. Any actions committed on your account are your responsibility.
Verify email address
While it is currently optional, Fortnite asks you to verify your e-mail address associated with your Epic account. This will help protect your account when the company implement multi-factor authentication and make it easier for Player Support to contact you in the event of any anomalous activity with your account.
Link your social accounts for extra security
Recently, Epic rolled out support to integrate Facebook and Google logins with its Epic account system.
Through this, one can log in without needing to use your Epic password, as long as you're actively logged in to Facebook or Google on your browser. You'll receive a login prompt asking you to authorize the activity and then will be let straight in.
Second, you can always use these login methods to regain access to the account in the event that it is locked due to invalid passwords.
