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HELP!!!

silent

Lore Master
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I don't play WOW or am I affiliated with them in any way. A co-workers WOW account was compromised he had no idea until WOW support contacted him and said they saw suspicious activity and they locked the account down. They restored everything back to the way it was no issues at all. That's the way it should be.
 

old gypsy

Grand Poobah
Professional
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Campaign Patron
Lady Storm Sorry this happened to you. UO should let you into all of this persons accounts, pick what you want, then wipe them all and BAN THEIR A$$
Yep. A creep like that needs to be banned, permanently. :thumbsup:
 

Lady Storm

Grand Inquisitor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I like roasting him over a slow fire and basting him with oil more to my liking... i am so mad i can chew horse shoes and spit out nails

No Really This cant be condoned by any one. Silent I have a wow account and 2 times a guild mate who is my friends father has been hacked, each time Blizzard returned both his characters and equipment and gave a bit more money to him and returned and notified me of my guild bank being looted dry. They are the best a game can espire to be in customer care when a hacker is involved.

UO thoug is very much older and EA is not Blizzard....

I got a reply from Mesanna today, she will personally look into this attack and theft and help out. Out of respect to the many honest CS who work at Origin The person who helped trace this thief down deserves the respect and admeration of a true sluth. Not all people are bad eggs we need to temper our ire with that thought in mind.
 

Wenchkin

Babbling Loonie
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
*hugs Lady Storm*

So sorry to hear what this creep did to your account, I really hope EA sort things out for you and hopefully use it to train their CS folks to not give account data out like that.

It's really wierd they could do all that without you getting any emails about it. That might be something worth flagging up to CS too, because those emails are essential to help you pick up on something happening with your account. The minute something changes on your account, or if a CS takes an enquiry on your account, it should really be confirmed in email so you have a record. Then if someone goes fishing for info on an account in future, it might at least alert the owner to what's going on. Without that it just leaves us all wide open to that sort of detective work.

The only positive thing if this thief took items from your account, is that they are hopefully traceable and finger any other accounts he might be using as part of this account selling nonsense.

Fingers crossed for you :)

Wenchy
 

Ezekiel Zane

Grand Poobah
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
The emails were never received by her because the accounts were unlinked from her email.

Any changes done to the accounts after that the email notifications were sent to the new email address.
 

Njjj

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Wow, just now reading this, and I'm really sorry to hear this has happened to another loyal customer.

This topic should not be dropped until it is addressed. Theres no excuse, especially since it would seem that many security holes can be fixed for free by simply modifying procedures. I too have had CS read me my vital information and asked if it was correct.

Maybe Jeff can use his weight to bring attention to this. It really is unacceptable, and can only sour ones opinion of the game. Our accounts are investments of our time if not emotions. If we don't feel our investment is safe, most will question whether to continue.

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk
 

Njjj

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
The emails were never received by her because the accounts were unlinked from her email.

Any changes done to the accounts after that the email notifications were sent to the new email address.
Theres no reason not to send an email to the old address confirming the change. This if a common policy.

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk
 

Widow Maker

Slightly Crazed
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Who is currently the Mythic liason here...

and why have we not heard from them??

:thumbdown:
 

Widow Maker

Slightly Crazed
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Wow, just now reading this, and I'm really sorry to hear this has happened to another loyal customer.

This topic should not be dropped until it is addressed. Theres no excuse, especially since it would seem that many security holes can be fixed for free by simply modifying procedures. I too have had CS read me my vital information and asked if it was correct.

Maybe Jeff can use his weight to bring attention to this. It really is unacceptable, and can only sour ones opinion of the game. Our accounts are investments of our time if not emotions. If we don't feel our investment is safe, most will question whether to continue.

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk
Our accounts also have our credit card info.....THAT is what I need to make sure is safe!!
 

Njjj

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Our accounts also have our credit card info.....THAT is what I need to make sure is safe!!
Very true. But we have legal protection against CC fraud. Our accounts are not considered our property, so we rely on our own precautions and those of EA to protect them.
 

Njjj

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Kind of funny that UO Herald reminds people to set up secret word as protection again but guess what it will do absolutely jack S^!t if the problem with the whole account security is at EA CS end.
I am really hoping that they are reminding us because they intend to start using them to verify people before they start dealing with them. I guess it could be taken that they are shifting the blame, but I will give them the benefit of the doubt on that one. Very strange that they dont seem to know that you cannot set it or change it after the account creation.

But I agree that this should not be allowed to fade away, and should be brought up constantly to anyone who will listen.
 

NBG

Lore Master
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Either EA does not have a standard operating procedure to handle account owner verification at the start of the call or their CS personnel are ignoring set procedure.

They need to weed out the useless leech in their CS ranks and get rid of them and keep training their people. I have never seen another company's CS department that is so weak at verifying account owner/guarding user account information.
 

Lady Storm

Grand Inquisitor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
They might be warrant to look at Legal Zoom's Account Identification procedure...

My daughter in law works in their CS department and the CS are taught to ask aa set of questions and under no surcomstance are they to talk to anyone if not the account owner ... not even the hubby or wife can access their accounts.
 

GreywolfUK

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Lady Storm I am glad to hear you got things sorted and accounts returned, sad to here they was stripped.

In general about CS, it has been and is known that some people in CS sell email address's and account details to others, I know this as a fact as I used to be a manager in CS for a multi national company and have caught and sacked a few in my time, the real sad part of it is, very rarely will companies prosecute these so-called CS people that are caught because it will effect their company image, that is just BS in my opinion, if companies started prosecuting these people from the start, their image would improve because it would show their customers that they do care about them.
 

Silly Seadog

Sage
It's My Birthday
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
In general about CS, it has been and is known that some people in CS sell email address's and account details to others, I know this as a fact as I used to be a manager in CS for a multi national company and have caught and sacked a few in my time, the real sad part of it is, very rarely will companies prosecute these so-called CS people that are caught because it will effect their company image, that is just BS in my opinion, if companies started prosecuting these people from the start, their image would improve because it would show their customers that they do care about them.
Arrrr, and don't ye leave out the ones who swipe credit card info fer their own purposes!
 

GreywolfUK

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Arrrr, and don't ye leave out the ones who swipe credit card info fer their own purposes!

This is true, I did forgot to mention those ones. Another major failing on companies is they for the most do not even do a simple criminal records check on employees new or existing ones. This should be mandatory, because even though a CS might not have access to customer CC details, it is so VERY easy for them to gain that access. I have known Supervisors all the way up to LINE MANAGERS, log into staff's terminals and forget to log back out again, or worse still typing in their access details in plain sight of a junior staff member. This is the stupidity of some people in CS management.

Forgot to say, the multi national company I worked for at the time, was a BANK. So what does that say about CS in general not only EA's so called CS
 

NBG

Lore Master
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Most CS department can at least ward off callers attempting to get account information. It is not enough that we have worry about possible insider compromising our account for profit, we also have to worry about sheer incompetence when it comes to things as simple as caller identity verification when it comes to EA CS personnel!!!

EA Customer Service fails in this area epically:thumbdown:
 

Lady Storm

Grand Inquisitor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
What worries me most is the Good CS personel get lumped in when people accuse .... The good one who dug up all the dirt on this whole fiasco was actualy very angry that this happened as he has had it happen to him in his game play.(not uo)

I dont know who this person is who took my accounts, but if I find out who he is, his buns best have friends to bail him out of jail. There is one thing I dont condone is thieft.

And I agree with you all CS has some major flaws, one of which is tier 3. Only e mail contact...
This is the division that is now handling this until Mesanna gets her hands on them. But by and large how well can you comunicate with a Supervisor who is only on e mail every few days to you and your waiting on them to reply. Time is a major factor in all thiefts in the first place.

Secondly CS has trained new staff on the billing system but how closly are these people supervised? Our credit cards and addresses not ot mention e mail and other information is at their finger tips... Quite frankly we trust too much to these "new" people. With your name, cc, and addy a thief can ruin your whole life and put your family's credit in danger.

I hope Mesanna can help put my account back together but I wont hold my breath on any return to items taken. She will no doubt hammer CS for their extreem lack of judgement in giving out info by "fishers" The CS said it looked like he had alot of other accounts that were gotten the same way... who's is unknown but I fear he has moved on to them now......
 

Lady Storm

Grand Inquisitor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I agree with you. If we find them asking us to confirm our info they give us then hell yes we should stop and ask for a supervisor and explain why to them we are fuming mad.
 

Willard

Seasoned Veteran
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I am happy everything worked out for you but sad you had to go through this.
CS needs to establish set protocols to ensure players accounts are safe and if hacked accounts should be returned to their pre-hacked state.
 

MalagAste

Belaern d'Zhaunil
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Supporter
CS needs to establish set protocols to ensure players accounts are safe and if hacked accounts should be returned to their pre-hacked state.
THIS! ^^^ Other games do it! Why doesn't EA? This is just not acceptable in this day and age.

The amount of time and energy we put into our characters and our homes should be treated with respect... we do pay them after all for such things and to have them taken away by shear negligence on the part of CS is just plain wrong.

Sickens me to think that we are that vulnerable.
 

Lady Storm

Grand Inquisitor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Every other game out on the market restores the lost items and atempts to fully restore the players characters to pre theft state.

I would wish that EA would do so.... i do not think they have the capasity to do so, they might be able to check some things but not all. The system for UO was never made with that thought in mind. Remember they wanted Thiefs to steal...... I guess they never thougth of the RL kind getting in uo to raise hell.

There should be a system where to get to even talk about an account a set of questions should be asked of the person calling.
1. Your Full Name
2. E-mail address
3. Last 8 digets of the CC used on the account in question (any one can see your last 4 so 8 is best)
4. Secret word (in a way this is a password)
5. Mother's maden Name (this one hardly anyone knows but you)
 

Lady Michelle

Sprite Full SP
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
I wouldn't mind having to log into account management doing this
email addy
pw
secret word
If your secret word isn't set up a window pops up asking you to set one.

When you call CS you have to give the email and secret word. CS cannot get into your account without the secret word.Someone trys then the CS have to email you that someone attempted to get into your account management. with a ticket# and phone# to contacted them.
 

iamSnippa

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I would actually say due the the massive losses you took, if EA cannot just restore everything that was lost, that this is one situation where a server revert would be absolutely needed, and if I were in charge over there I would do it in a heart beat. Yes I'm aware of what that means to all the other players on the shard, but it would be done.

I am sorry to hear of your losses Lady Storm, I am glad you got your accounts back and I hope the team @ EA does whatever they can to help you regain your lost items and skills.
 

BajaElladan

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Dear Lady Storm,

I only discovered this Thread several minutes ago. I scanned through all the comments and am crushed that you have joined the Ranks of the hacked!!!

I suffered a similar fate on Baja. And recently I learned one of my dearest Guildmates had his account hacked and that he had to fight for almost 3 months with EA just to get his own account back. He departed Sosaria and I fear I may never be in contact with him again.

Losing pixels is bad enough, but to also lose Sosarian friends of more than a decade over these hacks and the non=existent acct security since that blasted Migration ... makes me physically Ill.

This is such sad, frustrating, news, dear Lady Storm.

May God and karma punish these hackers and may God and karma bless you Dear Lady!

I'm going to go lay down now. This is just far to depressing.

I am glad you at least recovered your Characters but this has got to be Stopped by EA!!!
 

BlissMarie

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
My main account has gone missing, too. I don't even know what to do at this point.

Lady Storm and yanaki2, I'm sorry to hear you suffered this loss. =(


BlissMarie
 

Lady Storm

Grand Inquisitor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
My Dear friends, Thank you for your kind thoughts and offers. I shall more then survive.

Bliss contact Mesanna, you might be one of this mans quarry.

According to the CS the 3 accounts were not even visable till he did a deeper search. And the 3rd one took even more to find as it was hidden and only through a back door serch was it found.

He had not time to activate the other 2 as my castle had him quite busy in stripping. He must have had a dickens of a time trying to cart off all the gift items and arties i had locked down. I suspect 99% of what i had went into the cleanup bin. Not one piece of armor or artifact was left locked down.

Funny thing is the account he had activated was only friended to a few homes, still he walked in to them as freely and helped himself. This man is truly a thief. I would never think to touch anothers items and have ferryed things to the rares fest for quite a few collectors. Much was very valuable but to me its another persons toys and to be respected as such. How such a man can live with himself is beyond me.

I say again to all of you double check your accounts the active and the not so active.

I have to wait to see if Messanna can do anything. Weeks before this I sent her a message about a call to the CS. The young man who took my call kept insisting to get my password and what other accounts. I refused to give him my password and hung up. One never give them your password. If they link your accounts they will ask and you risk doing the one thing we never should do. Mesanna was alarmed he insisted for it. And rightly so. Customer service is only given so little access for a good reason.

I wont know anything till most likely mid week as the offices are closed for weekend. I will let you all know what happens. Unfortunatly we all know they will not tell me or anyone what fate this little thief gets if any. That is to protect his rights..... The law is the law and we all need to respect it. It however wont stop me from wishing him a karma wallop the size the UO gods have never seen.
 

Lady Laurel

Seasoned Veteran
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I am so sorry that this happened to you, but hopefully Karma will bite him where the sun doesn't shine and his deeds will return onto him threefold.
 

Lady Storm

Grand Inquisitor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Update: 2/6/12

Mesanna is looking into the matter with CS and I can hope rectify this "fishing " Scroundrls like this thief has done.
I thank each and every one of you for your kind and incouraging words.

I emplore you if you havent set up that secret word DO SO NOW.

Just remember that account you dont use might still have characters co owned or friended to your house an to friends homes.... how will you feel if some thief got into them? Stop it now. Double check you accounts and paswords, Change them if you havent in a long time.

Passwords are mroe secure if you use a Capitol letter(or 2) numbers punctuation ie: @#$^%&*() and the Space bar. The average decrypter agency has said with all 4 of these in place the average hacker cant get in to do mehim.

As for me.... I dont expect to get much of what he took back.. we all know the rules...
But on a happier note I get to redeco my house! 90% is done already... good thing i am a packmouse...
 

Lady Storm

Grand Inquisitor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
It might be the only thing holding a fishing thief from getting many accounts. Mesanna wouldnt insist if it wasnt important. We need all the stop signs we can get to avert this from happening again to anyone.
 
S

Sevin0oo0

Guest
Well, I for one, trust Lady Storm, some 'trusted traders', and a few others, explicitly. If any of them say it, i don't doubt them.
However, I'd like to know the method how to do this secret word , and I have a few questions:

Is by email the only way?
What if the email comes from a different address than currently listed for the account?
Secret word, as in an extra 'initial' password?
Can special characters/numbers be used?
Is this per Game acct?
Can the master account have one, affecting all game accts linked?
Will we receive email confirmation notice of adding a secret word?
Will the secret word be used Every time the account is accessed?
Is there a maximum number of times we can make a mistake before it times-out, or locks the acct?
What's the procedure if we forget the secret, or any of the passwords?
Will we receive email confirmation of Any changes made to any account(s), with a time (24hrs) to report it as unauthorized?
Are the procedures, and FAQ listed at the official company website?
Are there browser requirements for online access?

You know who I trust, w/o the above, it's the Company I wouldn't trust, not even w/ cat-poop, and neither should anyone else.

not trying to be detrimental, just trying to help with all this BS, so that all users have the same experience with account services.
There are professional standards, and they should be documented, followed, and enforced. imo
 
A

Aboo

Guest
Update: 2/6/12 . . .But on a happier note I get to redeco my house! 90% is done already... good thing i am a packmouse...
Lady Storm - Again I want to say I am so sorry this happened to you. If you posted what shard you play on I missed it, but if I have anything that can help you on whatever shard you are on, you are welcome to it.

I have to say that your attitude is most impressive! Most people would be dwelling on all that they lost but you find the silver lining in a terrible situation. You are a truly remarkable Lady!
 
A

Aboo

Guest
Update: 2/6/12 . . .

I emplore you if you havent set up that secret word DO SO NOW.

...
I went to Account Management to make sure I have done this and can't find where it is. Can you point me in the right direction?
 

Lady Storm

Grand Inquisitor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I will request Mesanna to let all of us know how to do so. Perhaps the system is down or Billing has lapsed in its use of it. I remember setting it up when I linked my accounts. I only saw it the one time. I assumed it was covering all my accounts. So thank you for asking. I shall request more info and see if it does indeed cover all from the one time entry.

Sorry for the confusion friends, I do hope you do forgive me on the vagness this has been a rough time on a little ol mouse. This person didnt just have 1 shard he could ravage but over 16. 12 I had homes this account was linked to by friending or co-owning. It made me think of how I have all my accounts cross linked..... Sobering thought that with just 1 account how much hadies can be rought.

My only saving grace is not many accounts are linked to the Smithsonian Anex's 1,2,3,Museums I have. To loose that set of castle buildings and their contents would be the end of my UO days.... I dont think I could handle that kind of loss.
 

Nails Warstein

Royal Explorer & Grand Archaeologian Of Sosaria
Professional
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Patron
Storm and Yanaki, I am very pleased you are being helped at all. I spent 9 months back and forth with EA reps with the full backing of my local police department, and nothing happened, only made things worse for me on so many levels. How this keeps happening is very disturbing when there are so many easy solutions to the problem. Its as though they like it this way.
 
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