Somehow, this thread has devolved into the legality of breaking into someone else's UO account.
Whether or not it'd be prosecuted is anyone's guess, but it would appear to be illegal, under the same statute violated by hacking into Sarah Palin's E-Mail:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/1008081palin1.html
which would be 18 USC 2701, and other statutes if fraud is committed. The entire text of 18 USC 2701, copied/pasted from the Internet site of the U.S. House of Representatives:
http://uscode.house.gov/search/criteria.shtml
follows my signature. The statute doesn't appear to specifically mention E-Mail, but rather applies to any time you engage in unauthorized access to a facility through which electronic communications pass.
The fact that it likely wouldn't be prosecuted doesn't make it not illegal. Eliot Spitzer wasn't prosecuted, but no one disputes that his conduct was illegal. I am pretty sure this kid who hacked Sarah Palin's E-Mail wasn't prosecuted, but he was indicted. The Sarah Palin incident was a special case along multiple variables.
Sometimes, cyber crimes can be prosecuted by State laws too....Here's an extreme example:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/01/15/un.inspector.ritter.arrest/index.html
No one is likely to prosecute you for trying to break into someone else's UO account. This doesn't make it not illegal though.
As to the insurance hack, and insurance bugs? I am confident that both have existed. Whether or not they still do, or whether or not new ones will pop up as a result of the changes, I can't guess.
Conventional wisdom used to be that you could avoid the old-school insurance hack by switching your context menu access to hold down shift while single clicking. I don't know if that's true or not.
I have no doubt whatsoever that the insurance hack, and insurance bugs, have existed. I have no doubt I've experienced one or the other on 2 to 4 separate occasions.
However, I also have very little doubt that both are
extremely rare.
2 to 4 incidents, since the release of
Age of Shadows. I assure you, I have died more than 4 times since the release of
Age of Shadows.
Any given incident where you feel your insurance has been hacked, or subject to a bug, you should scrutinize very closely to make sure it wasn't your own fault. 99% of the time, it will have been. You should subject yourself to this scrutiny for one reason alone: If your own screwup was what made the incident happen, it's within your power to make sure it doesn't happen again.
If you're sure you fall into the 1%, as far as I'm concerned, report it as a bug, and feel free to whine here. In an item-based game, item insurance is a critical game mechanic.
But what do I know.
-Galen's player
Sec. 2701. Unlawful access to stored communications
-STATUTE-
(a) Offense. - Except as provided in subsection (c) of this
section whoever -
(1) intentionally accesses without authorization a facility
through which an electronic communication service is provided; or
(2) intentionally exceeds an authorization to access that
facility;
and thereby obtains, alters, or prevents authorized access to a
wire or electronic communication while it is in electronic storage
in such system shall be punished as provided in subsection (b) of
this section.
(b) Punishment. - The punishment for an offense under subsection
(a) of this section is -
(1) if the offense is committed for purposes of commercial
advantage, malicious destruction or damage, or private commercial
gain, or in furtherance of any criminal or tortious act in
violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States or any
State -
(A) a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than
5 years, or both, in the case of a first offense under this
subparagraph; and
(B) a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than
10 years, or both, for any subsequent offense under this
subparagraph; and
(2) in any other case -
(A) a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than
1 year or both, in the case of a first offense under this
paragraph; and
(B) a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than
5 years, or both, in the case of an offense under this
subparagraph that occurs after a conviction of another offense
under this section.
(c) Exceptions. - Subsection (a) of this section does not apply
with respect to conduct authorized -
(1) by the person or entity providing a wire or electronic
communications service;
(2) by a user of that service with respect to a communication
of or intended for that user; or
(3) in section 2703, 2704 or 2518 of this title.
