Game Developer Explains How Easy it is to Scam Developers for Free Keys

Wastelands Interactive developer Leszek Lisowski revealed that while releasing Worlds of Magic on Steam Early Access, he was taken advantage of by scammers who posed as popular YouTube video game streamers. Many of the codes he had given out to promote the game ended up on reseller websites. 

In a post he wrote on Gamasutra, Lisowski revealed that he had sent codes to everyone who asked for one, even providing a few of those who contacted him with two or three codes. Unfortunately for him, he did not verify whether these people worked in the media, nor did he follow up with them after the codes were sent out. 

The developer later discovered that the game was being sold for $15 on reseller websites after a thread had sprung up on the Steam forums discussing the availability of the game. 

“I went to the store and bought a key using my credit card. Then I discovered that the key was one of those sent out to youtubers,” wrote Lisowski. 

“Initially I thought that the guy had taken three keys, kept one for himself and sold two of them (the account on G2A was from Bulgaria), but after I checked it was clear that the guy had received only one key… I took a deep breath and began to thoroughly check all the emails that had been sent to me. 

“Most of them were gmail accounts and had a single letter or number difference between the email name and the youtube channel name. Sometimes it was some popular regional mailing domain (for eastern Europe mostly).”

In an attempt to test out his theory, Lisowski created a new email account on Google and edited the message that one of the scammers had used to request codes from developers of new releases and coming soon lists on Steam. 

"I sent out 46 emails, which took me about two hours in total. In reply, I got 16 keys for 15 games (worth more than $400 USD)," they wrote. That's how easy it is.”

Given how difficult it is for indie developers to get promotion from gaming websites and YouTubers, it’s easy to see why they would be hesitant to deny access to possible sources of promotion. It’s just unfortunate that there are people who are willing to exploit their naiveté and scam them for free keys. 

via Polygon.