Scammers are taking advantage of Fortnite's popularity, and the latest round of Trojan horse malware appears to target the less scrupulous among us. Android apps promising free V-bucks or cheats are reportedly being used for phishing schemes and other nefarious deeds.
A report from Malwarebyte Labs looked into Android apps meant to copy Fortnite with promises of advantages like "bogus cheats, wallhacks, and aimbots." The apps then distribute surveys that are actually phishing schemes. At least one YouTube video led to a referral for a download EXE, sending data back to an index file in the Russian Federation. It appears primed to steal browser and Steam session information, cookies, and Bitcoin wallets.
Epic chose to distribute Fortnite itself on Android rather than through the Google Play store, presumably in order to avoid the 30% store tax and keep more of its profits. Critics claimed that was a security risk, since forcing customers to go outside a trusted ecosystem for such a popular game would invite copycat malware and phishing attacks. Epic's own installer had its own security problems to boot.
If you do install Fortnite on an Android device, make sure you sign up through the official site rather than visiting darker corners of the web to find it. And obviously, never trust a site or app that offers cheats, hacks, or free in-game currency through its own install.
Check out our Season 6 Week 2 challenge guide for details on how you can earn unlocks and rewards the good old-fashioned way.