"Your account has been compromised" POL message.

[Sketchzter]

Recently there has been a pretty nasty attack on all users by the RMT userbase, trying to trick players into going to malicious websites where they are prompted to input their account information because they've "commited a violation of the user terms". Some people fall prey to this trick, and get their accounts stolen because of this. This "issue" I have isn't directly related to that, but it is indirectly.

Just last week I had logged into POL when I got a mail message. One of those messages SE sends you when they want you to purchase one of the mini expansions or send you a message about your account. Well, this message was odd, because it stated my account had been compromised by a third party and that they reccomended I change my PW and run a Virus check on my PC asap.

First thing I thought was that I had been hacked and someone took all my crap, but after getting into my character, everything was intact. I also realized that I wouldn't have been able to log into my account had it really been compromised, mainly because this "third party" would've most likely changed my Password.

Well, I really am just confused by the message SE sent me (if infact it really is SE). The letter looked legit, and the sender looked like SE. None of that ghetto ass engrish the RMT crowd sends to you in-game. I'm just wondering, did my account -really- get hacked into? If it did, how the hell would've SE known? Without me reporting it ofcourse, because I would've in the event that I did get hacked.

Since receiving this message, I haven't changed my PW because the letter didn't really convince me I had truly been hacked. Anyone's thoughts on this? I'm just wondering if any of you have received this message before. I mean, my account is fine and I'm playing right now as we speak.

I'm just a lil paranoid that maybe a hacker sent the message in hopes that I change my PW, and the new PW would be picked up by a keylogger on the PC that they've imbedded, but that's prob too much "out of the ballpark"(I think that's the expression? lol).

 

[Myrrh]

Post the message?

 

[Sketchzter]

hurrr, that would require me to type it out word by word, since I can't really take pictures of the viewer. Unless there's a copy/paste method that I'm unaware of. Going to head to bed atm (since I didn't really expect anyone to reply at this time).

Later today I'll write down what it said in the message. What I posted is basically a summarization of it, but doesn't hurt to post the actual message since that'll more than likely help out.

 

[Tristam Green]

the...actual playonline viewer? or ffxi inside the viewer?

alt-prnt scrn
open paint
paste
save
???
profit

 

[Sketchzter]

Allright, since I fail at taking pictures of the POL viewer, here goes the message. I just forwarded to my actual email from within the POL Viewer. And yea Trist, it was from the POL viewer, not from within the game. Here goes:

------------------
FROM:"PlayOnline Account Administrator" <[email protected]>
TO:[email protected]
DATE:09/14/2009 MON 03:16 AM
SUBJECT:Regarding the Security of Your PlayOnline Account

>
>Dear Customer;
>
>This is a message from PlayOnline Information Center.
>
>After investigation, we have confirmed the fact that your PlayOnline account may have been compromised by annonymous third-party.
>
>Please check your PC to see if it is infected with any spyware or virus. After you update the security on your system, please change your PlayOnline password.
>
>*If you happen to be using Square Enix Account, password can be changed from \\\\\\\"Square Enix Account Management System\\\\\\\" on the upper right corner of FINAL FANTASY XI official website.
>
>*This email is sent to you as a notice.
>Please do not respond to this mail as we do not reply to emails sent to this address.
>
>************************************************
>PlayOnline Information Center
>
>Phone Support: (858) 790-7529 (PLAY)
>Web Chat: https://secure.playonline.com/supportus/chat_general.html
>
>Monday - Friday
>9:00 am - 6:00 pm Pacific Time

Notice how they refer to the actual website, and the only link there is to the chat support. I clicked on that link, and it came up with the chat support page. Not sure if thats legit, but it looks legit enough.

My main concern is how would SE know that I got hacked? I mean, unless my account was compromised through their side, I don't understand how they'd be able to tell wether I got hacked or not. On top of all that, I can still login to my account and its intact. My friend told me when people get hacked, the person who hacked you doesn't take your stuff at first. They only go on to see what you have. Not sure what to believe though.


*Edit*

As a side note, I use Mozila Firefox when browsing the internet, and have the latest AVG internet security, that runs computer scans every other day.

 

[Elohim]

They said "may", not "has". Probably they have an automated system that checks packets for evidence of keyloggers or viruses, or perhaps part of their database was compromised. They sent that message to anyone who might have been compromised just in case, to save themselves a few headaches down the line. I wouldn't worry too much, as long as you have software to scan every few weeks.

 

[Keryan]

Today one of the PS2 players logged on after a month away from game. He had been hacked. I think on SE's side someone got information for accounts.

 

[Sketchzter]

Today one of the PS2 players logged on after a month away from game. He had been hacked. I think on SE's side someone got information for accounts.

If this is in fact true, SE needs to do something more than send half assed letters to their user base. Any links about the PS2 player that was hacked? I'd like to read up on what happened to him to further understand what's going on here.

Nobody has received similiar letters from SE?

They said "may", not "has". Probably they have an automated system that checks packets for evidence of keyloggers or viruses, or perhaps part of their database was compromised. They sent that message to anyone who might have been compromised just in case, to save themselves a few headaches down the line. I wouldn't worry too much, as long as you have software to scan every few weeks.

That's heartwarming of SE to do, lol. I'm not really worried too much, I'm mainly trying to find out if anybody else has gotten this message, and what those people think about it. My computer is pretty much safe, or atleast I'd like to think so. I'm told AVG is a pretty trustworthy Antivirus program, and it hasn't really failed me at all these last couple of years.

 

[Tok]

the...actual playonline viewer? or ffxi inside the viewer?

alt-prnt scrn
open paint
paste
save
???
profit

fukin /b/ tard

 

[Tellah]

What probably happened was:
Random Hacker attempts to brute force X number of accounts.
SE logs one IP address attempting to access many accounts.
SE goes 'Ohshi-" and sends out email after presumably blocking hacker's IP.

 

[Reala]

I got spammed by one of these one day every 4 seconds the SAME guy sent me the SAM tell, but after a while it didnt even have the full adress it just had ww lol

 

[Cort]

fukin /b/ tard

/b/ invented the underpants gnomes
true story.

ot: have you logged in from a different ip?