As Fortnite continues to grow in popularity, scams are becoming more prevalent in all facets of the game. But the most common type of scam seen around Fortnite is the Free V-Bucks claim.

Posts, videos, and giveaways for Free V-Bucks have been around for a while but only recently has Fortnite developer Epic Games decided to address the issue. In a post on Twitter, Epic warned players about the dangers of Free V-Bucks and Discounted V-Bucks scams, saying that the only valid websites for Fortnite are Epic’s and Fortnite’s official sites. For example, Epic recently completed its Solo Showdown event, which handed out varying amounts of V-Bucks to winners.

Fortnite V-Bucks scams can come in a bunch of different forms. The most common seen online include replies to popular Fortnite streamers like Ninja, Myth, and Dr. Lupo with links to unofficial websites, as well as Fortnite “gameplay” videos that promise free V-Bucks if players visit a specific link.

Fortnite content rules the roost on YouTube and many will use any tactic to get a click, especially those that promise free in-game currency. Truthfully, the majority of Fortnite content that appears on a YouTube feed includes clips ripped from popular streamers’ broadcasts, fake claims about new weapons and skins, and giveaways for V-Bucks.

fortnite scams on youtube

Given Fortnite’s popularity it’s no surprise that content creators and media representatives are holding V-Bucks giveaways. And many of these are legitimate, but most are for gift cards or payments that the winner can then use to purchase V-Bucks. Only Epic Games sanctioned giveaways are truly for V-Bucks but even then the developer says to avoid giving any information about your account to random people.

With so many Fortnite skins released since the launch of the game and midway through Season 4, there are bound to be plenty of scammers that simply want to takeover accounts and re-sell them for a profit. Epic Games has been good about re-releasing old skins, but there are some out there that are extremely rare and accounts with those skins are very valuable.

That’s all to say, it’s better to pass up on the opportunity for some free V-Bucks in case something nefarious is lurking behind the scenes. As Epic Games says, don’t click on any link that directs away from the official Fortnite and Epic sites.

Fortnite is available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.