Account Hacked - Please, protect Yourself!

[Scotlan]

THIS IS A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT!I have been a paying customer with SOE, since the initial release of EQ1...what, 9 years now. I've use the same email, and switched my password now and then. Thought I was doing all the things I could to protect myself.I used to be one of those players who used to think my account could never be hacked...I was wrong.Imagine trying to log in to EQ2 (the game) and having a message that your password is 'invalid'.Ok, now imagine trying to log into Sony's website (Exchange) and you receive the same message, password 'invalid'.Pretty scary so far, huh? I'm not even close to being done...Imagine how you would feel when you request a password-reminder be sent to your email...a notice displays that, 'that request has already been processed in the last 24 hours."Imagine some of your fears starting to rise inside your mind...yeah, that's how I felt.No way to contact Sony directly and quickly...can't log-on to Support, can't log-on to use live-chat, email would be way to slow...only option is to call them. Meanwhile....you hope your financial information has not been compromised as well.Ok...now, when you reach an SOE-CSR, the first thing they do is verify your account information...good start...but that does very little to alleviate the frantic state you are in to lock / block / stop your account activity.After explaining the password situation...they promptly reset my password to default...I only need to wait a minute before I can log in and change it. That minute sure feels like a long time...doesn't it?Now is when you are entering Hell on a roller-coaster heading at breakneck speed in a downward spiral...You log into game...man, this file analyzing and file update takes forever...and decide to go to the 'character select' screen so you can switch between characters and look at them...and......your worst fear have just come to life.There is your uber, high-level toon staring back at you in all his/her glorious naked appearance.Welcome to the Abyss....you have just been royally [expletive] !How would you feel now?Ok...you switch to another toon...naked, as a Jay-bird.Now, you log in completely....you want to see how much damage was done...and you find your banks are empty and stripped of everything, just like your toon.Feel pretty crappy, huh?Rage, sorrow, nausea....they don't even begin to describe the emotions that are flowing through you at this time...BUT...there is one final twist to the dagger...You have just been informed by guild-members that your uber, high-level toon committed the most heinous act possible...your toon stole from, and cleared out the Guild bank!Now....can you truely imagine how you would feel?Of course not....unless you have been here, you cannot fathom the depth your emotions can go.No you contact an SOE-CSR again, only there is nothing they can do...this has now become an 'in-game' matter.Your only recourse at this time is to /petition...and hope and pray that SOE will be understanding and quick to respond. You definitely want them to be thorough, the waiting is beyond hell.How much time, and money, have you invested into your characters? Take some time to look at your inventory, and appreciate all the items and accomplishments you have attained...because, one day they might not be there...and you'll be in my shoes...with some hacker enjoying a big joke at your expense.And I sincerely hope NO ONE experiences what has happened to me. I wouldn't even wish this on an enemy.Identity Theft sucks....please, please...don't let it happen to you.

[Gladiia]

<p>There are large amounts of information that show the most common ways of being hacked are by doing something stupid yourself - and probably the vast majority of people that get hacked have participated in one of these stupid events.  </p><p>However, just because you have never ever done any of the stupid things that make it easy to get 'hacked' does not make you immune.  Take the OPs advise, and do everything possible to prevent hacking.  If you never do anything stupid with any of your acct information and have average protection, you probably won't get hacked....but it is no guarantee, so take any extra precautions you can.  Getting hacked does indeed suck.</p><p>I'm in a lucky boat - while I have been hacked once (and with up to date protection, and never sharing acct information), it was luckily in a game I had only played for a few weeks, and not much harm was done.  But this goes to show that it IS possible, for anyone to be hacked, even the careful ones.  </p>

[firexcracker]

A longlong time ago, shortly after DoF came out, I was crafting on one of my characters.  I realized I needed something from the bank and went to zone out of the crafting hall, and got kicked to character select.Only, there was nothing to choose at character select.  My character had been outright deleted.. while I was playing!Of course it was midnight, and I had no way to contact SoE other than via /petition on an alt.  I waited up all night for a response.  Their reply?  There was nothing they would do, because 1) I already had a restoration request on my account (I accidentally sold a quest item and had it returned to me), and 2) I deleted the character myself.  Yes, somehow I deleted it myself while I was baking cookies.  This was my main character, level 60 (the cap at the time), almost capped provisioner.  I nearly cried.I had to petition about 10 times before I got someone to restore the character for me.Never did find out HOW my character got deleted out from underneath me, but several other people I knew had it happen to them in the same week.. only they never came back to the game after that and I can't say I blame them.