As the world becomes increasingly turbulent, we naturally retreat to places of comfort. For millions of people, video games provide that refuge, with virtual worlds offering solitary escapism and soothing shared social spaces. This was especially true during the Covid-19 pandemic, when video games became a lifeline, connecting separated families and friends and providing a much-needed sense of routine.
With more than 3.6 billion gamers globally, almost half the planet’s population plays games in some shape or form. Yet as the medium continues to grow, so too do the risks associated with it. For all the joys of interconnected virtual locales, there are a growing number of bad actors seeking to tarnish this goodwill by scamming passionate players out of their hard-earned cash. In the 12 months from April 2024, more than 19m gaming-related cyberscams, from malware to phishing, were detected by the cybersecurity firm Kaspersky. And in the year to February 2023, worldwide losses were estimated at $216m (£160m).
