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The 'Fortnite' Economy Now Has Its Own Black Market (qz.com)

Posted by msmash on from the how-about-that dept.

Fortnite's in-game currency, V-bucks, are now being used to launder money from stolen credit cards, according to a report by The Independent and cybersecurity firm Sixgill. From a report: Here's how it works: After a hacker obtains someone else's credit card information, they make a Fortnite account and use the card to buy V-bucks which are used in the game to purchase cosmetic upgrades and new ways your character can dance. Once the account is loaded up with V-bucks, it is then sold through a legitimate vendor like eBay, or on the dark web. V-bucks cost about $10 for 1,000 when you buy them in the game or from authorized online stores. But these accounts are sold at rates low enough that it ends up being much cheaper to buy V-bucks that way.

31 comments

  1. Make a cryptocurrency out of it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And then use it to back sub prime mortgages on tulip farms.

    1. Re: Make a cryptocurrency out of it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nice try, troll. Those deplorables are "irredeemable". There is no chance they are voting for anyone but King Deplorable.

  2. That's new? by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Been the staple of a couple MMOs already for years. Or is it a story because Fortnite?

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:That's new? by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

      Exactly.

      Popular game with MTX has black market. News at 10, Film at 11.

      Go figure.

    2. Re:That's new? by nospam007 · · Score: 2

      "Been the staple of a couple MMOs already for years. Or is it a story because Fortnite?"

      But there you got guns, spaceships or armor.
      Here you can buy a dance variant for your avatar.(sic)

    3. Re:That's new? by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Funny

      If I went back 20 years and told people that there will be a game where you can spend real, hard earned cash so your figure on the screen dances in a different way, and that the game makes millions, people would probably take it as a cue that I cannot really travel through time and are just making completely and utterly nonsensical bullshit up.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    4. Re:That's new? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      During your time travel, be sure to punctuate the message with '...and Donald Trump is president'. That will remove any doubt in their minds that you are just making nonsensical bullshit up.

    5. Re:That's new? by sheramil · · Score: 1

      A new dance might have come in handy if CCP had ever implemented "Walking in Station / Incarna", in Eve:Online. A player could set their avatar up on a stage in a bar and do exotic dancing for spare change.

    6. Re:That's new? by Opportunist · · Score: 2

      I did that the last time, to which they responded "Who was he running against, Cthulhu?"

      I pondered. Then I nodded.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    7. Re:That's new? by The+Evil+Atheist · · Score: 1

      That's how news works. Fortnite is new. And something old is being done with the new thing. That new combination makes it new.

      Maybe you, like every other Slashdotter it seems, are confusing "new" with "never happened before" or "not conceivable before".

      --
      Those who do not learn from commit history are doomed to regress it.
    8. Re:That's new? by Texmaize · · Score: 1

      You are absolutely right, but each generation always thinks they invited everything for the first time. "NO ONE HAS FELT LOVE LIKE I DO NOW" sorta thing. It's like the changes of the seasons. I take some comfort in it.

      --
      "Liberalism is a very noble idea, currently controlled by some very bad people. Be sure you do not get the two confused.
    9. Re:That's new? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      https://cthulhuforamerica.com/

    10. Re:That's new? by Ranbot · · Score: 1

      Been the staple of a couple MMOs already for years. Or is it a story because Fortnite?

      Agreed, but to expand on that... it becomes news [again] because Fortnite is so much larger than previous MMOs and is part of mainstream culture in a way that previous MMOs never were. For millions of average adults Fortnite is a new concept they are trying to wrap their mind around; and idea that Fortnite can be more than just a harmless game their kids play is news for them [albeit, not "news for nerds"].

  3. Re: Is that better than a white economy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You mean white market, right? And how about the gray market? More important that any of that: who gets to choose the colors of the market?

  4. Re: Is that better than a white economy by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

    The metaphors of:

    * Light = White = Good, and
    * Dark = Black = Evil,

    has been around for literally eons.

    e.g.
    A modern version W.R.T. Security:

    * White Hat = good
    * Black Hat = bad

  5. Black market vs White market. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Most of the black market are detained and fined by the police and translated to the prison.

    The problem of the white market is that is controlled by the governments and the taxpayers have to pay taxes of the white market for the governments.

    Jesus did hate the market inside of a temple. It was an uncolored market.

  6. Attention Fortnite Gamers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    John Wick needs your help

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrJR1GJJIBg

  7. Re: Is that better than a white economy by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 0

    Yeah, sadly, a few will get their panties in a knot over history -- they are probably the same ones that hijacked All Lives Matter to BlackLivesMatter. LOL.

  8. No, it's a pretext by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So msmash can post "it wuz haxx0rz!" again.

    Also known as "clickbait".

  9. What's Fortnite? by mfearby · · Score: 1

    I suppose I should see what all the fuss is about.

    1. Re:What's Fortnite? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Its like team fortress but with dancing.

  10. Re: Is that better than a white economy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And then someone says "it's okay to be white"... and that's racist, says the little girl.

  11. Nothing new Lineage II by future+assassin · · Score: 1

    had a massive black market with Chinese farmers and people accounts getting hacked and items distributed by being sold on ebay and game sites.

    --
    by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
  12. Not news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Any time there's a multiplayer game with in-game currency there's a black market selling accounts. This has been a thing since MUDs were a thing.

  13. Thats not money laundry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    they are just stealing credit cards info, that's not even new.

    1. Re:Thats not money laundry by negan16 · · Score: 1

      But how to explain such a cardboard? Fortnite is the most popular video game of all time. https://www.ucbrowser.vip/ https://shareit.onl/ https://mxplayer.pro/

  14. Re: Is that better than a white economy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Except with regards to financial dealings where Black is good and Red is bad

  15. Re: Is that better than a white economy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm white and I too wish a few white people would die off, like for example, the person I'm responding to.