Discord is a communication platform used by millions of users worldwide, but unfortunately, it also faces scamming activities by malicious users. This article provides detailed information on common scam techniques used on Discord and concrete measures to protect yourself from them.
Social Engineering: Targeting Personal Information with Crafty Language
Social engineering is a scam technique that exploits people’s psychological weaknesses to steal personal or confidential information. Through clever wording and disguise, scammers try to deceive users, lower their guard, and extract information.
- Impersonating Discord Staff: Attackers pose as official Discord accounts or staff and send DMs (direct messages). For example, they may deceive users with messages that feign urgency, such as “Your account may have been compromised” or “Your password needs to be reset for security enhancement.” They then lead users to fake login pages to steal personal or login information. They may also lure users with attractive offers such as “Get Discord Nitro for free!” However, official Discord staff will never ask for personal information or passwords via DM.
- Impersonating Friends: Attackers may impersonate users on your friend list and send DMs. For example, they may approach you with friendly messages such as “Do you want to exchange game items?” or “Take a look at this link!”, but in reality, they may lead you to fake trading sites or try to make you download files containing malware. Even if it’s a DM from a friend, you should first be suspicious if the content is strange and check directly with the person in question.
Malware Traps: Dangers Lurking in Seemingly Harmless Files
Malware is a generic term for malicious software. On Discord, the following types of malware traps may be set up:
- Malicious Links: Attackers send seemingly harmless links via DM or chat. However, clicking those links can lead to phishing sites or download malware. You should be especially careful with shortened URLs or URLs that contain strange strings. Do not click links carelessly, but copy the URL and check it with a search engine first to confirm its safety before accessing it.
- Fake Game Files or Cheat Tools: Attackers send files disguised as cheat tools or MODs for popular games. However, these may contain malware, and downloading and running these can infect your device, leading to the theft of personal information or remote control of your device. Cheat tools and MODs not only violate the game’s terms of service, but also increase security risks, so you should absolutely not use them.
How to Protect Yourself from Scams: Specific Measures
- Be Careful with Suspicious DMs: Be especially careful with DMs from unknown users or friends with whom you don’t usually communicate much. DMs that ask for personal information, login information, or credit card details are highly likely to be scams, so never provide them. Also, be suspicious if DMs, even those claiming to be from official Discord staff, ask for personal information or passwords.
- Check Links Before Clicking: Before clicking a link, check whether the URL is correct and whether it is a reliable website. Even if it’s a DM from official Discord staff, you need to be especially careful if it contains links to external sites. Do not click links carelessly, but copy the URL and check it with a search engine first to confirm its safety before accessing it.
- Download Files Carefully: Do not download files sent from unknown users carelessly. Also, even if the file is from a trusted source, scan it with antivirus software before opening it. Depending on the type of file, it may contain malware.
- Set Up Two-Factor Authentication: By setting up two-factor authentication on your Discord account, you can greatly reduce the risk of unauthorized logins. When you set up two-factor authentication, you’ll need to enter a verification code sent to your smartphone in addition to your password when you log in. This can prevent unauthorized logins even if your password is leaked.
- Report If Something Seems Suspicious: If you discover scam activity or suspicious users, do not hesitate to report them to Discord’s support team. By reporting them, you can prevent harm to other users. Also, Discord’s security team analyzes reported information and uses it to eradicate scam activities.
Summary: Protect Yourself from Scams with Knowledge and Caution
Discord is a safe and enjoyable platform, but the risk of scams always exists. Using the scam methods and countermeasures introduced in this article as a reference, always be vigilant and use Discord safely.