Is Buff a Scam?

If you’re thinking of using Buff, you need to know: Is Buff a scam? 

Below, we explain whether Buff is a scam and discuss some steps you can take to improve your safety when using this website.

What Is Buff?

Buff is a free gaming platform that rewards gamers. 

Users download the Buff app (desktop or mobile) and then let it run in the background while playing their games.  

The longer you play, the more “Units” you can earn. You can exchange “Units” for rewards like Amazon and PayPal gift cards.

Buff also has premium subscription options that help you earn more. 

The company (Buff Technologies LtD.) is publicly traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BUFT. 

Is Buff a Scam?

Buff does not appear to be a scam.

However, whether it’s worth using Buff depends on your goals. For instance, if you already spend a lot of time playing games, then Buff can be a nice option to earn some rewards for doing so. 

On the other hand, Buff is probably not worth your time if you want to earn cash. 

Users say that it takes a long time to earn “Units,” including having to watch ads. 

Many also say that the rewards are either never in stock or are unavailable when trying to redeem them. 

The website ‘Paid from Surveys’ gives Buff a 2.5 out of 5.0-star rating. According to the site, it will take the average user a couple of months to earn $10-$15 worth of rewards.

Another website called ‘The Budget Diet’ gives Buff a 4 out of 5.0-star rating. 

Both websites agree that Buff is worth trying if you already spend a lot of time gaming. 

Buff has been accused of potentially mining cryptocurrency in the background. According to the Buff Portal, this is not true. 

The company says it makes money from: 

• Paid subscriptions. 
• Paid advertisements.
• Partnerships with game publishers.

That last one – partnerships with game publishers – is worth noting. Buff says, “These companies use the game and ad data from Buff’s users in exchange for rewards and discounted gift cards that become available in the marketplace for Buff users to claim.”

This means that your activity – the games you play, how often, your performance, etc. – isn’t just used internally by Buff but is shared with third parties, including major tech and gaming companies.

Buff has a 3.5 out of 5.0-star rating (from 13.5k reviews and 1m+ downloads) on Google Play and a 4.6 out of 5.0-star rating (from 16 ratings) on the App Store.

Security

In its privacy policy, Buff says that it follows “generally accepted industry standards to protect against unauthorized access to or unauthorized alteration, disclosure, or destruction of PII.”

It does not go into details as to what these “industry standards” are. 

On its FAQs page, Buff says that it is featured in the Overwolf Appstore, a platform that lets developers build and distribute in-game apps for PC games, and notes that for that to have happened, it needed to pass “thorough security and authenticity tests.” 

That said, internet users seem to have mixed opinions about Overwolf. 

On its Google Play page, Buff says it encrypts data in transit and allows users to request that their data be deleted. 

Privacy 

Buff explains the kind of data it collects, why, and with whom it may share it in its privacy policy.

It collects the following information: 

• Your personally identifiable information, such as your email address.
• Usage information, like “online/offline status, your IP address, geolocation data (including country and city), browser identifiers, internet service provider, type of browser, your regional and language settings and software and hardware attributes.”
• Your communications with Buff, e.g., when you send the company an email. 
• Cookies and tracking data. 

Buff can use this data to run and improve its platform, process payments and rewards, provide customer support, conduct analytics, display ads, and send promotional messages. 

The company may share your information with third-party service providers (e.g., cloud services, business partners, etc.), business partners, and acquirers in the event of a merger or acquisition. 

It says your data may be stored or processed outside your country, including outside the EEA.

Buff also says it’ll keep your data as long as needed for its services or compliance purposes. When no longer needed, data is anonymized or deleted.

So, Should You Use Buff?

Depends on how you game and what your privacy preferences are.

If you already play a lot of games, don’t mind Buff running in the background, and are OK with sharing some data (e.g., in-game behavior, etc.), then Buff can be a nice way to make a bit of extra cash. 

How to Use Buff Safely 

• Download Buff from official sources only. This helps you avoid accidentally installing malware. 
• Use a secondary or masked email. That way, you don’t have to share your primary account. 
• Understand what data you’re sharing. Buff tracks game usage, device and browser info, IP address, and broad location and may share this information with third parties. Make sure you’re okay with that before you start using the platform.
• Exercise your privacy rights. You can email privacy@buff.game to request to see your data, delete it, or opt out. 
• Keep Buff updated. Not only is this good for new features or support for more games, but it’s also important for security patches and bug fixes. 
• Uninstall it. If you stop using Buff, uninstall it from your device.