Real or fake NCSOFT support email - Guild Wars Forums

Ranger Jaap · Nov 23, 2010, 11:47 AM // 11:47

Hello people of Guildwarsguru, today i received a email from Ncsoft that my account is banned, smart as i am i did not react to it and checked my guildwars account and i could log in perfectly. could this be a fake email (fishing or w/e its called)

Here is what they wrote:

Your NCsoft account will be suspended due to a violation of NCsoft User Agreement and or Rules of Conduct (ROC). The reason for the account
suspension is Use/Advertise Cheater Program.
Please go to NCsoft Support for further information,

verify your identity : (phishing link)
In order to keep this from occurring, you should immediately verify that you are the original owner of
the account.

Ranger Jaap · Nov 23, 2010, 11:47 AM // 11:47

LOL i clicked the link and google chrome said suspected phishing site

bsoltan · Nov 23, 2010, 11:50 AM // 11:50

It is fake, as you've noticed.

Ranger Jaap · Nov 23, 2010, 11:51 AM // 11:51

I'm still wondering how they got my email?

makosi · Nov 23, 2010, 11:52 AM // 11:52

The English is too poor and the URL contains 'Aion'.

NCsfot and Anet always have good English.

Ranger Jaap · Nov 23, 2010, 11:58 AM // 11:58

I guess you could close this but maybe this is a good example for other players who might get emails like that to not freak out check if you can log in, if yes you have a phisher

RedDog91 · Nov 23, 2010, 02:48 PM // 14:48

Don't post links to phishing sites.
Also, there's already been many threads through out the years on the subject and ANET flat out tells you that they won't contact you to verify an account. In fact, they don't even warn you if you get banned, you have to find out for yourself by logging in and getting the error message.

domaspiragas · Nov 23, 2010, 04:44 PM // 16:44

^ This.

And also...

Quote:

Originally Posted by makosi

NCsfot and Anet always have good English.

Wrong.

Oh, and I'm having a great time sending this guy fake accounts and insults through his phisher.

Skye Marin · Nov 23, 2010, 04:44 PM // 16:44

I have a few e-mail accounts, and get e-mails similar to this regarding Aion, WoW, and GW to each of them. Two of those games I don't play at all.

Lania Elderfire · Nov 23, 2010, 06:10 PM // 18:10

The server IP is in china, none of the IP's match NCsoft's IP, Domain owner owns a whole host of fake phishing domain names, there is no HTTPS on the web address, the name servers hosting the domain are blacklisted... yeah... Another way to make sure, if that wasn't enough evidence is to type in gibberish, fake name and password, and it'll take it after a few tries. For example, I typed in 3eeew as the username and dddd3fa for the password using a encrypted proxy server. Also if you have an unprotected browser, it'll "look" legit. See image...

Chrisworld · Nov 23, 2010, 06:18 PM // 18:18

good lord, its no wonder so many idiots get phished.

Iuris · Nov 23, 2010, 06:59 PM // 18:59

Quote:

good lord, its no wonder so many idiots get phished.

And then they blame everything but themselves, and never admit they were fished, not hacked...

What really surprises me that the WoW spam I keep geting in my hotmail couldn't possibly work - there's several a day! Anyone would see that he can't have THAT many legitimate mails...

AmbientMelody · Nov 23, 2010, 07:30 PM // 19:30

Okay guys, here's the deal ...

Quote:

We will not contact you externally (via email) to inform you of disciplinary action on your account. Instead, you will receive an in-game message that alerts you that your account has been rendered inaccessible. That alert will provide as specific a reason as we are able to give for the account mark, as well as the duration of the temporary account suspension.

http://www.guildwars.com/support/leg...d_outcomes.php

The only way someone doesn't know this is if he didn't read the EULA and didn't read rules & regulations of the game he's playing, all easily available on the main GW site. Since you play an online game there is no excuse for not knowing these rules. If anyone gets phished by this kind of e-mail, then it's his fault for not seeking information he is obliged to know and accept before playing the game. It is your duty to know this information, before you access the game and play it.

Lania Elderfire · Nov 23, 2010, 07:57 PM // 19:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmbientMelody

Okay guys, here's the deal ...

http://www.guildwars.com/support/leg...d_outcomes.php

The only way someone doesn't know this is if he didn't read the EULA and didn't read rules & regulations of the game he's playing, all easily available on the main GW site. Since you play an online game there is no excuse for not knowing these rules. If anyone gets phished by this kind of e-mail, then it's his fault for not seeking information he is obliged to know and accept before playing the game. It is your duty to know this information, before you access the game and play it.

Yeah, and how many people actually read the entire thing before playing any game? Probably less than 0.1% of the gaming population. Phishers know this, and that's why it works so well. People just generally don't read shit like that because it's boring, time consuming, and confusing for most people. It is completely unreasonable to any game company to expect that people read and understand it 100%. Credit card companies write stuff in their fine print, their TOS, etc because they know most people don't read it, and they can screw people over when the time comes. EULA, Rules and conduct, and TOS are more about covering their own "asses" and protecting their own assets rather than protecting the gaming community. If it was the other way around, the community managers would be doing a lot more to communicate clearly en masse to the general player base in-game rather than on the forum or the wiki.

RedDog91 · Nov 23, 2010, 08:14 PM // 20:14

It doesn't matter if you didn't read it. If you clicked that you accept the terms and conditions (which you have to click it to play), then it's your own fault when something like this happens.

You can complain and place blame all you want, but its always your own fault.

Lania Elderfire · Nov 23, 2010, 08:36 PM // 20:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedDog91

It doesn't matter if you didn't read it. If you clicked that you accept the terms and conditions (which you have to click it to play), then it's your own fault when something like this happens.

You can complain and place blame all you want, but its always your own fault.

Yeah exactly, removing blame and any possible liability from reaching Anet or NCsoft... hence "covering their asses". It's an industry standard practice. You should also read the thread before posting then you'll know that no one was actually phished. Oh wait, TLDR right? just like 99.9% of people TLDR the terms and agreements. Like I said, it's just unreasonable to expect people to know everything and read everything because everyone has limited time, and 99.9% of people rather be doing something else than read boring legal documents. And NCsoft, Anet, and fellow gamers blaming the victims (consumers) 100% of the time just adds the cherry on top to the whole account security QQ fest. -_-

RedDog91 · Nov 23, 2010, 08:49 PM // 20:49

...I did read the whole thread.
Maybe if you realized that my post was to people in general and not directed to anyone in the thread, you wouldn't have to post a needless argument.

The EULA is not to cover their asses, its to tell you "if you do something stupid, don't come crying to us"

Lania Elderfire · Nov 23, 2010, 09:03 PM // 21:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedDog91

...I did read the whole thread.
Maybe if you realized that my post was to people in general and not directed to anyone in the thread, you wouldn't have to post a needless argument.

It was to make a point since you said "something like 'this' wouldn't have happened", which implies that something did happen, and 'this' points to an account theft.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedDog91

The EULA is not to cover their asses, its to tell you "if you do something stupid, don't come crying to us"

What's the difference? If something happens, they are not liable... which covers their ass.

RedDog91 · Nov 23, 2010, 09:36 PM // 21:36

Covering their ass would mean that they did something and blamed you for it. Blaming you for something you personally did is not covering their own ass.
There's a difference in there if you squint really hard.

Lania Elderfire · Nov 23, 2010, 10:22 PM // 22:22

Have you actually read the EULA? the bulk of it is that any damages related to the software tangible or intangible cannot be used to hold the publisher liable. It's to prevent lawsuits against Anet/NCsoft for making and keeping their security practices outdated leading to loss of intangible wealth. Ie. it's a way to "limit liability" against the publisher by transferring all responsibility of keeping the account secure to the user. It doesn't prevent droves of hacked people from asking for help, and the EULA says nothing about how Anet won't help you if you do something stupid or "don't come crying for help".

Nov 23, 2010, 11:47 AM // 11:47	#1
Ranger Jaap Lion's Arch Merchant Join Date: Oct 2007	Real or fake NCSOFT support email Hello people of Guildwarsguru, today i received a email from Ncsoft that my account is banned, smart as i am i did not react to it and checked my guildwars account and i could log in perfectly. could this be a fake email (fishing or w/e its called) Here is what they wrote: Your NCsoft account will be suspended due to a violation of NCsoft User Agreement and or Rules of Conduct (ROC). The reason for the account suspension is Use/Advertise Cheater Program. Please go to NCsoft Support for further information, verify your identity : (phishing link) In order to keep this from occurring, you should immediately verify that you are the original owner of the account. Last edited by Snograt; Nov 23, 2010 at 07:10 PM // 19:10..

Nov 23, 2010, 02:48 PM // 14:48	#7
RedDog91 Desert Nomad Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Farming for Nick gifts Profession: R/	Don't post links to phishing sites. Also, there's already been many threads through out the years on the subject and ANET flat out tells you that they won't contact you to verify an account. In fact, they don't even warn you if you get banned, you have to find out for yourself by logging in and getting the error message. Last edited by RedDog91; Nov 23, 2010 at 02:58 PM // 14:58..

Nov 23, 2010, 06:10 PM // 18:10	#10
Lania Elderfire Academy Page Join Date: Sep 2005 Profession: E/	The server IP is in china, none of the IP's match NCsoft's IP, Domain owner owns a whole host of fake phishing domain names, there is no HTTPS on the web address, the name servers hosting the domain are blacklisted... yeah... Another way to make sure, if that wasn't enough evidence is to type in gibberish, fake name and password, and it'll take it after a few tries. For example, I typed in 3eeew as the username and dddd3fa for the password using a encrypted proxy server. Also if you have an unprotected browser, it'll "look" legit. See image... Last edited by Lania Elderfire; Nov 23, 2010 at 06:19 PM // 18:19..

Nov 23, 2010, 10:22 PM // 22:22	#20
Lania Elderfire Academy Page Join Date: Sep 2005 Profession: E/	Have you actually read the EULA? the bulk of it is that any damages related to the software tangible or intangible cannot be used to hold the publisher liable. It's to prevent lawsuits against Anet/NCsoft for making and keeping their security practices outdated leading to loss of intangible wealth. Ie. it's a way to "limit liability" against the publisher by transferring all responsibility of keeping the account secure to the user. It doesn't prevent droves of hacked people from asking for help, and the EULA says nothing about how Anet won't help you if you do something stupid or "don't come crying for help". Last edited by Lania Elderfire; Nov 23, 2010 at 10:32 PM // 22:32..

Nov 23, 2010, 11:50 AM // 11:50	#3
bsoltan Site Contributor Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: UK Guild: [SoF]	It is fake, as you've noticed.

Nov 23, 2010, 11:51 AM // 11:51	#4
Ranger Jaap Lion's Arch Merchant Join Date: Oct 2007	I'm still wondering how they got my email?

Nov 23, 2010, 11:52 AM // 11:52	#5
makosi Grotto Attendant Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: "Pre-nerf" is incorrect. It's pre-buff. Guild: Requirement Begins With R [notQ] Profession: Me/	The English is too poor and the URL contains 'Aion'. NCsfot and Anet always have good English.

Nov 23, 2010, 11:58 AM // 11:58	#6
Ranger Jaap Lion's Arch Merchant Join Date: Oct 2007	I guess you could close this but maybe this is a good example for other players who might get emails like that to not freak out check if you can log in, if yes you have a phisher

Nov 23, 2010, 04:44 PM // 16:44	#9
Skye Marin Jungle Guide Join Date: May 2006 Guild: The Seraphim Knights [TSK] Profession: E/A	I have a few e-mail accounts, and get e-mails similar to this regarding Aion, WoW, and GW to each of them. Two of those games I don't play at all.

Nov 23, 2010, 06:18 PM // 18:18	#11
Chrisworld Krytan Explorer Join Date: Aug 2010 Guild: Gameamp Guides [AMP] Profession: W/	good lord, its no wonder so many idiots get phished.

Nov 23, 2010, 08:14 PM // 20:14	#15
RedDog91 Desert Nomad Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Farming for Nick gifts Profession: R/	It doesn't matter if you didn't read it. If you clicked that you accept the terms and conditions (which you have to click it to play), then it's your own fault when something like this happens. You can complain and place blame all you want, but its always your own fault.

Nov 23, 2010, 08:49 PM // 20:49	#17
RedDog91 Desert Nomad Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Farming for Nick gifts Profession: R/	...I did read the whole thread. Maybe if you realized that my post was to people in general and not directed to anyone in the thread, you wouldn't have to post a needless argument. The EULA is not to cover their asses, its to tell you "if you do something stupid, don't come crying to us"

Nov 23, 2010, 09:36 PM // 21:36	#19
RedDog91 Desert Nomad Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Farming for Nick gifts Profession: R/	Covering their ass would mean that they did something and blamed you for it. Blaming you for something you personally did is not covering their own ass. There's a difference in there if you squint really hard.