Vandals are attacking accounts on the popular online gaming platform Roblox to spread messages in support of Donald Trump's 2020 presidential reelection campaign, according to Bleeping Computer.
The attackers are brute-forcing weak passwords to compromise Roblox user accounts so they can show and distribute messages such as “Ask your parents to vote for Trump this year!” and “MAGA2020”.
- Best VPN: pick the ideal provider for watertight privacy
- Antivirus: stay protected when online with the best software
- Just in: Ransomware hackers fleeced $1.14 million out of top medical school
Roblox is a gaming platform that enables users to create and share games with others. Boasting over 100 million users globally, it’s one of the most popular gaming companies in the world.
The game is predominantly used by children who range from nine and 14 years of age, so the fact their accounts are being targeted is somewhat alarming.
Pro-Trump vandalism
Many Roblox users have seen their account biographies updated with pro-Trump statements, while others had messages sent to their friends asking them to support Trump in the upcoming election.
As well as changing user bios and sending messages, the pranksters have also altered Roblox avatars to dress them in pro-Trump attire. For example, avatars have been given red baseball caps that state “Running of the Bulls” in white capital letters, which resemble Trump's "Make America Great Again" caps. Avatars are also given T-shirts with America’s iconic eagle in front of an American flag.
It’s believed that around 1,000 accounts have been compromised, although Roblox hasn’t yet confirmed whether this is the case.
Angry users
Users of the gaming platform quickly took to Twitter to confirm the breach. One person said: “On Twitter I’ve got quite a few friends getting their accounts hacked. None of them have entered their passwords anywhere.”
Meanwhile, another user wrote on the social media site: “Can't believe my roblox account got hacked by a Trump supporter.”
If you or your child has been affected by the breach, you should change the password and ensure it is strong as well as unique. One of the best password managers will help in that regard. Another way to protect yourself is by using two-factor authentication.
It's not clear if the attackers are changing the account passwords after they break into an account.
None of the affected users who spoke to Bleeping Computer said the email addresses associated with their accounts had been changed, so it was easy for them to reset the account passwords.
- Read more: Stay protected online for less with the best cheap VPN
