Square Enix Responds to Account Phishing Reports
A fair amount of players have recently reported that their Final Fantasy XI accounts have been stolen. It’s not to be taken lightly since MMORPG characters usually take a lot of time, effort and sometimes money to build-up.
Usually, reports of stolen accounts are simply replied with a short copy and paste template by their support personnel. This prompted 1UP’s James Mielke, a hardcore FFXI enthusiast, to hunt down Square Enix Global Online Producer Sage Sundi and the North American Online Producer Yasu Kurosawa for some answers regarding the problem.
Here’s what they have to say:
1UP: People are all nervous that their accounts, which have been vulnerable to keylogging programs, are at risk. Besides the blanket statement that SE issued shortly after a virus was discovered on FFXI fansite somepage.com, what can you say to reassure gamers that their log-in info is safe?
Square Enix: We understand that several players have had accounts compromised recently. As announced earlier, we have already begun working to return the compromised accounts to the rightful owners. Also, for the numerous callers that previously reported similar matters to us, it is now possible for us to return the accounts to them as well. We will also continue to work with our community to ensure that issues, such as the somepage.com fansite incident, are addressed.
1UP: Would you say that one effective precaution would be to check FFXI-related info sites on a separate computer than the one used to play FFXI?
SE: Although this would be an effective precaution it may not be feasible for all users. We recommend that only trusted sites are visited, such as those listed on our Community Sites link, as well as ensure that the latest virus protection software is installed and active. Please remember, however, that Square Enix cannot ensure that any websites not owned and controlled by Square Enix are 100% protected from malicious hackers.
1UP: Lastly, what sort of security advice do you have for players concerned about future login-info hacking.
SE: Again, we recommend that only trusted sites are visited and that the latest virus protection software is installed and active while browsing the Internet. If you feel that a site is phishing for your user information or is installing malicious software on your machine please report it to us at https://secure.playonline.com/supportus/index.html
Impressive I say. Most MMORPGs hide behind a clause in their terms of use that the accounts are still property of the company, therefore any hacked or stolen account can not be restored to the player since they never owned it in the first place.
According to Square Enix, only PC players are affected by the problem and players on the Xbox 360 and PS2/3 are not at risk. Only PC’s are affected by the keyloggers used to steal the account details of a user. Usually these keyloggers infect users when they visit unsecure, hacked or compromised sites.
If you want to learn more about the situation and how to protect yourself, read the full interview at the 1UP site.