Dark Web creating ‘thriving criminal ecosystem’ around ‘Fortnite’

The Epic Games Inc. Fortnite: Battle Royale video game is displayed for a photograph on an Apple Inc. iPhone in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, May 10, 2018. Fortnite, the hit game that's denting the stock prices of video-game makers after signing up 45 million players, didn't really take off until it became free and a free-for-all. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

LOS ANGELES: Criminals are turning to videogame mega-hit Fortnite and its 200 million players as an easy way to launder cash from stolen credit cards, according to cyber intelligence firm SixGill. 

“Fortnite’s format and popularity have drawn the attention of cybercriminals, and resulted in a thriving criminal eco-system around the game,” according to a report by the company. “As the game’s popularity increases and the financial system around it becomes more diverse, fraud involving games such as Fortnite is likely to become more prevalent.”