Never Share Your Account ID or Buy L$ from Other Residents
Second Life is a vibrant virtual world built on trust and creativity. However, as in any online environment, bad actors occasionally try to take advantage of that trust. We have recently gone through a reorganization, creating our Trust & Safety team which is focused on addressing issues that threaten to erode that trust. Through the investigations of this team, we’ve seen an increase in fraudulent activity involving compromised accounts and illegitimate Linden Dollar (L$) transactions. To protect yourself and your fellow Residents, it’s crucial to understand why you should never share your account ID or buy L$ directly from another Resident even if they’re a friend.
The Scam: How Fraudulent L$ Transactions Work
Bad actors compromise a Resident’s account, often by obtaining their login credentials through phishing attempts, weak passwords, or reused passwords from other sites. Once they gain access, they use the account to send messages to people on their friends’ list, offering to sell L$ at a discount, or asking for help to buy L$ from them because of real-world troubles.
The unsuspecting friend buys the L$, often sending real USD through PayPal, Venmo, or another service, only to later discover that the L$ they received were fraudulently obtained. When we detect fraudulent activity, we must reverse those transactions, meaning that the victim loses both their real money and the L$ they thought they had purchased.
Only Buy L$ Through Linden Lab
To keep your transactions safe, always buy Linden Dollars through Linden Lab:
✅ The LindeX Exchange (accessible through the Second Life website)
✅ “Buy L$” button in the viewer
This ensures that all L$ are legitimate and that your purchases are protected. Buying from unauthorized sources, even well-meaning friends, can lead to losing your money , your L$, and potentially your account.
How to Protect Yourself and Your Friends
- Never buy L$ from another Resident. If a friend offers to sell you L$, politely decline and let them know it’s against policy.
- Be skeptical of sudden financial offers. If a friend messages you with an unsolicited offer involving L$, their account may be compromised.
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). This adds an extra layer of security to your account and helps prevent unauthorized access.
- Change your password, using a strong, unique password or passcode for your Second Life account. Never reuse passwords from other websites.
- Report suspicious activity. If you think an account has been compromised, report it immediately by filing an Abuse Report.
What to Do If You’ve Been Affected
If you’ve purchased L$ from another Resident and suspect the transaction was fraudulent, please contact Second Life Support right away. We can investigate and help secure your account if needed.
If you have received a request for money from another Resident whose account you believe may be compromised, please contact Support as soon as possible.
Remember: Keeping Second Life safe is a community effort. By staying vigilant you help protect yourself and others from fraud. If you ever have questions or concerns, our Support Team is here to help.
Stay safe, and see you in-world!