Since Fortnite launched last summer, there have been several stories about players having their accounts hacked. From players who didn't utilize two-factor authentication to a teen who was duped in-game into handing their account over to a hacker, it's apparent that account stealing is a big business in the multiplayer sandbox survival shooter.

This was further confirmed by a new report this week, which revealed that teenage Fortnite hackers are making thousands of dollars a week by stealing and selling these accounts. As it so happens, a 14-year old hacker recently revealed he got involved in the hacking scene after having his account stolen. He said, "I was approached by a cracking team and they told me what it was and all about 'combos', 'proxies' and I guess they showed me how to crack." This team also showed him how to get hacking tools and where to sell the stolen accounts.

Since then, the teen has begun to sell stolen Fortnite accounts, and in the first few weeks of this, he made £1,500 (equivalent to $1,900). Another hacker from Slovenia, 17, stated that he'd made £16,000 (about $20,000) in seven months, while one hacker from France, 15, had a week when he made £2,300 ($2,900). Accounts are priced depending on the emotes and skins that they have. From within Fortnite, the hacker from Slovenia said, "You can't get caught, nobody checks it."

It isn't strictly true that such actions go unpunished, as Fortnite developer Epic Games has launched lawsuits against those abusing its game. Last year, the studio settled a lawsuit with a 14-year old who stood accused of using Fortnite cheats and developing his own exploits to use with the game.

In fact, earlier this year, Epic even sued a leaker that revealed its plans for Fortnite Season 4 ahead of time. While these offenses are quite different from hacking and stealing accounts, it shows that Epic isn't afraid to enlist its legal team to protect its game.

Beyond a lawsuit, or even police intervention, Epic could still do more to prevent people from being drawn into the Fortnite hacker life. The UK's National Crime Agency suggests that Epic and other game developers look into "early intervention messaging on their platforms to divert [youngsters] on to a more ethical and legal path." Debbie Tunstall, who is in charge of a rehabilitation program for hackers, referred to what's happening as "cyber-crime grooming" and said that there are links to "organized crime," with these teen hackers being encouraged by more dangerous people.

Fortnite is available on Android, iOS, PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, and Xbox One.

Source: BBC