Usually, if something looks too good to be true, it is. And this is exactly what's been known to happen with Fortnite, Epic Games' smash-hit with its free-to-play Battle Royale mode. The Fortnite in-game currency, Vbucks, is the only way to buy the cosmetic items, such as outfits, gliders, pickaxes and emotes. But Vbucks cost real money for the most part. What you earn in the game doesn't go that far.
Enter the unscrupulous people of the internet and multiple "free-Vbucks, click-here" scams, or nefarious people just flat out hacking and stealing from accounts.
Here's an important thing to remember: There are no free Vbucks. Epic Games has confirmed this. Unless you're winning some in a competition from, say, a well-known streamer, or being rewarded directly by Epic Games, the freebies don't exist. It's all a scam to get your Epic Games account login. In fact, anything that sounds too good to be true, likely is, and anything that ever asks for your login information that isn't you logging in to your Epic Account is almost certainly bad,
Related: Why is Fortnite so damn popular?
The first thing to do to protect yourself is don't click on any of these links. Never, ever. But the other thing you can, and definitely should do, is to add two-factor authentication, a.k.a, 2FA. Also, if you have any payment information stored in your Epic account, maybe remove that, and just enter it every time. However much protection you apply, don't leave thieving scoundrels any breadcrumbs.
Adding 2FA to your Fortnite account
Here's how to add some extra security to your Epic Games account, using 2FA:
- Go to epicgames.com and log into your account.
- Open account settings by hovering over your username in the top right corner.
- Select password and security.
- At the bottom, click on the button labeled enable two-factor sign in.
Now, whenever you log in to a new device with your Epic Games account, you'll be emailed a unique code which you will need to enter before you're allowed access. While you're in your account settings, it's also a good idea to make sure you have a unique, hard-to-guess password. A password manager is a great way to generate these, and Windows 10 users should definitely check out Enpass.
If you play Fortnite on Xbox One and your Epic Games account is produced from your Xbox Live login, the same rules apply. Do not click on any free Vbucks links. In this scenario, you could be handing over much more than just your Epic account information. There's no real suggestion at this point that any Microsoft accounts have been compromised thanks to Fortnite, but don't take the risk.
It's also a good time to remind you to add 2FA to your Microsoft Account if you didn't already. The guide linked below will walk you through that process.
How to set up two-step verification on your Outlook and Microsoft Accounts
The best course of action is always to be as secure as possible. Fortnite is popular with adults and kids, so be sure to check-in on friends and family to make sure they're all being safe.
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