The Discord city leak

If your kid games, they’re probably on Discord. It’s a free chat app, like a giant group text for gamers. Kids join “servers,” big chat rooms for one game, and anyone in the same server can message them.

What happened

Lots of servers make new members click “verify,” a fake-account check often run by a bot called Double Counter (basically an automatic doorman, made by a separate company, not Discord). On Oct. 4, a hacker broke into Double Counter and copied data tied to about 28 million accounts: usernames and, for most, the internet address from wherever the kid clicked verify, often home. That points to a rough city. No passwords or credit cards were taken.

Why it matters

A scammer who knows your kid’s city can make a message feel personal and scary: “I know you’re in Austin.” That fear is how sextortion works, where a stranger threatens a kid for photos or money. Nobody has reported that happening from this leak.

What to check

One setting does most of the work: in Discord’s settings, under Content & Social, your kid can turn off “Allow DMs from other members in servers,” so only friends can DM (direct message) them. If a stranger still reaches them, in a server chat or with a friend request, they can report the message and block them.