Game codes in exchange for account information

[Flutter]

Just stop accepting game codes as a valid way of obtaining account information. Period. It is a totally unacceptable way to claim an account.

Years ago when we used to get boxes, they came with an account upgrade and a new account code. Almost every one of us gave away our new account codes to friends when someone needed one to create a new account. They were never protected, private, or secret.
I have boxes from UO:R that I shared with an X. If he had these boxes he could just claim my accounts while trying to get the account information for his own accounts. He wouldn't even have to TRY to hack me, he'd just have to have these keys.

What a stupid stupid way to give out information on accounts.

Can we please discontinue this?

As recently as 7pm tonight, there's been a post on the official UO.COM site specifying account codes to get account information. Unacceptable.

If you don't remember your secret word, send an to email [email protected], supply them with your account name, email address, cc info, and any other information (e.g. game codes), and request to have the secret word changed.

Forget about the game codes please.

 

[Ezekiel Zane]

100% agree. Too many players gave away or sold new account codes but they could very likely still have those codes, either on the boxes themselves or they recorded them.

Stupid, stupid, stupid way to verify if one is the rightful owner of an account.

I gave away at least 5 new account codes in the past and I still have every single box and the inserts that I ever bought.

 

[Apetul]

Before they shut down MYUO, there was a site selling codes for about 30m. If those guys start claiming accounts .. ohh my

 

[Viper09]

This isn't exactly new information, it's been like this for a long long time and UO isn't the only game that uses game codes. But they should require more than just the game code to get an account.

 

[Ezekiel Zane]

This isn't exactly new information, it's been like this for a long long time and UO isn't the only game that uses game codes. But they should require more than just the game code to get an account.

You're right it isn't new and it isn't just UO. That doesn't change the fact that it's an asininely stupid and insecure way to verify and then hand over an account to someone.

 

[Viper09]

You're right it isn't new and it isn't just UO. That doesn't change the fact that it's an asininely stupid and insecure way to verify and then hand over an account to someone.

Not sure I agree with it being a stupid and insecure way to verify. Game codes in the past have been useful for people to recover ones account years after forgetting the emails they have used. There has to be some sure way to have an absolute link to an account in bad cases of hacking or trying to restore an account after several years of it being inactive.

But weren't the codes on the cd case slips not the actual boxes?

 

[Ezekiel Zane]

But weren't the codes on the cd case slips not the actual boxes?

I recall them being on inserts inside the box and on the CD slips. All my boxes are packed up since I moved last year.

The problem with using the codes as any form of secure verification is the fact that they give us multiple codes when we buy these upgrades. Too many of these new account codes were transferred to someone, other than the original purchaser, for them to be considered a secure means of ownership verification.

I still have all the codes I've ever given away. So even though I don't know the account names, all I need is this code to call up and talk to a CS person and attempt to steal someones account. Apparently it's easy enough to do and if the first attempt isn't successful then multiple attempts appear to almost guarantee eventually successfully stealing someone else's account.

It's widespread enough and documented to have occurred enough that this practice should be ceased immediately.

 

[NBG]

/signed!!!

Using only game codes is out dated and needs change.

They just need to prevent accounts from being unlinked! A linked account means a locked account if you ask me and linked account should be unlinked if and only if:

1. They can verify request is from existing mater account's owner and only if there is an issue with existing master account!!!!
- Billing information (I think if people are paying by CC
!!!! verify CC info !!!!!!!!
- Match against billing address
- UO account name
- Secret word

2. When they roll out new account transfer feature again, they can unlink account from master and link it to another master of different owner. Keep in mind procedure to verify account ownership needs to be strict here!!! And linking\relinking should only be done on CS end!
-

 

[Njjj]

I recall them being on inserts inside the box and on the CD slips. All my boxes are packed up since I moved last year.

The problem with using the codes as any form of secure verification is the fact that they give us multiple codes when we buy these upgrades. Too many of these new account codes were transferred to someone, other than the original purchaser, for them to be considered a secure means of ownership verification.

I still have all the codes I've ever given away. So even though I don't know the account names, all I need is this code to call up and talk to a CS person and attempt to steal someones account. Apparently it's easy enough to do and if the first attempt isn't successful then multiple attempts appear to almost guarantee eventually successfully stealing someone else's account.

It's widespread enough and documented to have occurred enough that this practice should be ceased immediately.

Yes. They clearly intended for us to give these codes to friends, and they never indicated that they would be used for verification of account ownership. So once the codes are used, many people are not going to pay any mind to it.

As for people that have lost track of emails and cc information (but somehow still have their uo boxes), I would rather see them look at the name that was last on the billing information than the CD key.

 

[Salivern_Diago]

What gets me is when they ask for the orginal Gametime code and the orginal CC info.. Yeah I'm going to know what my CC was from like 10-12 years ago... Na-ah.

 

[Basara]

The "buddy" game codes that were inserts wouldn't be a way of doing things (as those were printed & inserted randomly).

The big danger is where one of the two primary account codes (the ones for a new account with paid time, and the upgrade account) was ALSO the gift claim code, and was used to claim the gifts on the other account type. That would be where two different accounts' codes could get linked, even if EA didn't record which pairs went together prior to shipping.