Discord, a popular communication platform among gamers and communities, has unfortunately become a hub for scammers looking to exploit users. From account theft to phishing attempts, Discord scams come in various forms, each aiming to deceive users and steal their personal information or compromise their accounts. Here’s what you need to know to safeguard yourself against these scams.
Discord Scams to Look out for
Discord account theft became a particular problem after the introduction of Nitro, a paid subscription that provides Discord users with additional platform features. In this scam, a user pretending to be your friend, or using a friend’s compromised account, reaches out asking you to check out their video, test a game they made, or practice running code they wrote. No matter the backstory, they’ll always ask you to download a program or click a link they provide, resulting in a malicious program entering your computer and/or hacking into your account.
Ban Scam: In this scam, a message from a discord user to other users claiming that they mistakenly reported their Steam account, and now you may need to complete several steps to unlock it. First, they will ask you to contact one of their friends who is a ‘Valve’ employee. And once you do that the “employee” will tell you that you need to buy a wallet card and send them the code to validate the purchase.
All they need is your account information, credit card account, and password. You need to know that there isn’t any pending ban on Steam. If Steam bans your account, it would be immediate. You can sign in to your account to check if that’s true or not. Contact the official support to ask for help instead of following the steps provided by the unknown Discord user.
Discord Nitro scams start with a direct message from an unknown contact or a bot, which includes an offer to join the paid service. The scammers claim to have an extra Discord Nitro account that they are willing to give away freely. All you have to do is follow an embedded link. When you click on the link, you will be redirected to another website. It might look like a real Discord login page, but it’s a fake website. Any domain other than “discord.gift” is fake. Scammers will try to get any personal information, such as your Discord login credentials or credit card numbers. Usually, The link to receive the offer does not resemble a trustworthy Discord domain.
Attempts to steal your Discord Token
Hackers may attempt to steal Discord tokens, which are used for authentication and API requests. They often disguise their messages as official security warnings or updates. Be cautious of any offers for copyrighted software or game cheats, and avoid downloading apps from unofficial sources.
How to spot a scam:
You may see public posts or receive DMs from unknown users offering access to copyrighted software, hacking tools, or game cheats. Sometimes, these messages may also be disguised as official security warnings or updates from Discord.
Tips to Avoid Discord Scams:
- Be cautious with Links and Attachments: Do not open links and attachments from unknown sources.
- Be Wary of Unusual Messages: Even messages from friends can be compromised, so be aware of unexpected requests.
- Download Apps from Official Sources.
- Stay Updated: Regularly update your Discord app to ensure you have the latest security features.