Discord bot leak
Updated
On October 4, hackers broke into Double Counter, an outside company that runs the “verify” check on many Discord servers, and stole info on 28 million Discord accounts: usernames and computer locations.
If your teen games on their computer, they’re probably on Discord, a free chat app, and belong to “servers,” big chat rooms for one game or creator. When joining a new server, teens are made to click “verify,” a fake-account check run by an outside company called Double Counter, not Discord itself.
On October 4, hackers broke into Double Counter and stole info on 28 million Discord accounts: usernames and computer locations. A scammer who knows your teen’s location can make a message feel personal and scary: “I know you’re in Austin.” That fear is how a stranger threatens a teen.
Now may be a good time to open Discord’s settings and, under Content & Social, turn off direct messages from server members, so only friends can DM (direct message) them, not scammers.
Parents ask
Was Discord itself hacked?
No. Double Counter is an outside company, not Discord itself. When your teen joins a new server, they’re made to click “verify,” a fake-account check that Double Counter runs.
What was taken?
Usernames and computer locations for 28 million Discord accounts.
Why does my teen’s location matter?
A scammer who knows your teen’s location can make a message feel personal and scary: “I know you’re in Austin.” That fear is how a stranger threatens a teen.
What one setting should we change?
Open Discord’s settings and, under Content & Social, turn off direct messages from server members, so only friends can DM your teen, not scammers.
Sources: ZeroBreach, October 8; Machine
Appeared in Lowkey, a free weekly email for parents about what teens are watching, saying, and obsessing over.
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