Microsoft Investigates Possible Fraud on Xbox Live
Microsoft is looking into many reports that gamer's accounts have been stolen and used for fraudulent activities, such as buying MS points with stolen credit card information. Microsoft's response, according to those who have written about their troubles in various forums, including Microsoft's own Xbox.com, has been less than stellar. Here's one example:
"My Xbox Live account was hacked and all credit card info was stolen and used to run up points...Microsoft says: 'Oh, well, better call your credit card companies, nothing we can do,'" one user wrote on the Xbox Web site last month.
Some gamers have even received threats during Halo matches that their account would be stolen:
Security researcher Kevin Finisterre was playing Halo on a recent night with several friends when some of their opponents threatened to steal their accounts, he said."Literally the next day my girl's account was locked out," Finisterre wrote in an e-mail Tuesday. "I received a message on my Xbox that said: 'We are sorry we must log you out of Xbox Live because someone else is using your Gamertag.'" The account was banned. A "Gamertag" is a person's account name on Xbox Live.
Finisterre said that calling Microsoft was no help and that he got the runaround from the support people who answer 1-800-4MY-XBOX, the official help line. "My account is currently being investigated after about seven frustrating calls," he wrote. An edited recording of several calls he made is available on Finisterre's Web site.
While some believe that their accounts were hacked, others think that gamers may have been "duped" into giving out their account information in phishing scams. Microsoft seems to pride themselves in the security of their system, so phishing scams are certainly in the realm of possibility. I am, however, disappointed in the response that customer service has given to some gamers...at least Microsoft is now looking into this before it becomes overly rampant.
Have you ever had such an experience?
Microsoft probes possible Xbox Live fraud [C-Net]
Super Timsy
Posted to Video Games on 21 March 2007
Other stuff like this: Fraud, Gamertag Theft, Microsoft, Phishing Scams, Xbox 360, Xbox Live
