Xbox Live Hacked?

[tkioz]

I had a lovely wake up call this morning. I was actually feeling pretty good for a change, had a coffee in my hand, was patching the MMO I've been playing, then I checked my email.

$129 for Microsoft Gold Year Pack
$99 for Microsoft Points
$99 for Microsoft Points
You Gift of XBOX Live Time has been accepted
You Gift of Microsoft Points has been accepted
You Gift of Microsoft Points has been accepted
You Gift of Microsoft Points has been accepted


Lots of swearing at this point. I log onto my Windows Live account (with it's secure 12 character password) and my Netbank, I find my credit card is maxed, actually overdrawn, (thankfully I hadn't made Octobers payment yet...) and my Live account is all screwed up.

I get my Live account back under control.

At this point I do a google, not much on major news in the last day or so about XBOX, but a few early articles about people in the same position as me.

Wonderful. Didn't Microsoft learn a thing when this crap happened to Sony?

Email to Microsoft sent demanding a full refund, none of this "credit" bullcrap, my account to be downgraded to silver, and my credit card info purged from their system.

No reply yet. Their service centre isn't open yet.

So I ring my bank, and get a very helpful operator who says because the transactions haven't been finalised yet they can't dispute them, but they will as soon as they are, she said that if Microsoft pull its thumb out I'll get my cash back right quick, if not I'll have to wait a little while. Which is -wonderful- around the 1st of the month when my bills are due... which funnily enough can't be paid with Microsoft points. Still not her fault, and she was very helpful.

Now it's a matter of waiting to hear from Microsoft. Most annoying thing is that because of their stupid "you must ring us to downgrade from gold to silver" and "you can't remove your credit card without putting another one in" crap I hadn't cancelled the service months ago, since I haven't used it since my eyes went bad. Seriously there should be a law saying that if you can sign up for something using an automated online system you can cancel the same damn way.

Anyone else get screwed over this morning?

 

[dickywebster]

Im a ps3 user so idk the state of xbl, but im sorry to say the first thing that springs to mind is that this is very ironic and will probably wipe the smile off a few xbox lovers i know.
But remember what happened when the psn was hacked, unless its a noticeable problem, which it sounds like it is, then you might not hear from microsoft for ages if ever.
On the otherhand, it does sound too targeted and widespread to be just a system glitch, unless the whole system is playing around?

 

[Watchmacallit]

Well I'm assuming that these people gifted themselves? If that's the case you're working with some genius hackers...

You Gift of XBOX Live Time has been accepted
You Gift of Microsoft Points has been accepted
You Gift of Microsoft Points has been accepted
You Gift of Microsoft Points has been accepted

If that isn't the case and I misread then its more likely to be a glitch...Now that I think about it it has to be a server glitch or something. What is the point of hacking and using the credit card when nothing will come of it...Oh wait. This is the internet and I'm just remembering LulzSec >_>


EDIT: I'm a Gold Member and I haven't had any notifications or credit card usage.

EDIT EDIT: Also, a password is a great deterrent but with enough persistence a 12 character password with symbols, uppercase/lowercase and numbers can be broken.

 

[Elro1985]

I've had this problem recently too... Was playing for a bit, signed out, then my friend texted about 10 mins laster asking me why I was playing FIFA game (which I never play. Tried to sign back in and I couldn't.

I'm very secure with my password, never use any dodgy websites etc. no idea how it happened... the b*****ds took £90.50 off me

However my expirence with Microsoft was different. I phoned them asap, from there they took over my account and suspended the guy who hacked it. It took a month to get things sorted but I'm back online now plus money is being refunded soon and they gave me some free xbox live gold account for the trouble

I have now taken any bank details of xbox live and will be purchasing points from game shops

This FIFA hacking problem has been going since about June, they buy stuff to sell on ebay apparantly so be on the look out

 

[tkioz]

Well I'm assuming that these people gifted themselves? If that's the case you're working with some genius hackers...

You Gift of XBOX Live Time has been accepted
You Gift of Microsoft Points has been accepted
You Gift of Microsoft Points has been accepted
You Gift of Microsoft Points has been accepted

If that isn't the case and I misread then its more likely to be a glitch...Now that I think about it it has to be a server glitch or something. What is the point of hacking and using the credit card when nothing will come of it...Oh wait. This is the internet and I'm just remembering LulzSec >_>


EDIT: I'm a Gold Member and I haven't had any notifications or credit card usage.

I've seen people on other forums mentioning that there have been a few websites popping up selling Microsoft points on the cheap. $11 for 6000 points.

So... they got $22 from me at least.

It's just like gold selling in game, so what if the buyers get banned, the hackers who got into the account get the cash.

 

[Spygon]

Havent had any problems my end but this is slighty different as people are going to get hacked whatever your using.The problem with the psn was it effected so many people then they shut down the psn without telling anybody why and that they could be at risk.

 

[barbzilla]

The charges were made to your account, it wasn't a case of xbox live being hacked, but a case of your account being compromised. Most compromised xbox accounts are compromised because you use the same email/password combo at other websites or other companies who have been compromised (like sony) and your account info was stolen from them. Try calling their support and getting an investigation started on your account for the charges.

 

[Argtee]

Hmm, well, this hasn't happened to me, so... that's good!
[sub]Although, I do only have Silver Membership, if that has anything to do with it.[/sub]

Still, sorry to hear about this. Hopefully you'll get everything cleared up soon.

 

[Radelaide]

I would probably call XBL support and your bank ASAP.

 

[tkioz]

The charges were made to your account, it wasn't a case of xbox live being hacked, but a case of your account being compromised. Most compromised xbox accounts are compromised because you use the same email/password combo at other websites or other companies who have been compromised (like sony) and your account info was stolen from them. Try calling their support and getting an investigation started on your account for the charges.

Well I've considered that, but I haven't used my Windows Live or XBOX Live accounts for months, I haven't even turned my xbox on for months, my eyes have gone and I can't see the TV to play it so what's the point.

So it wasn't malware.

All my passwords are randomly generated 12 characters long, and never used on more then one site, so that's out.

My email account that is used for accounts is an ISP account that's locked to my IP (slight pain but worth it for security), so they couldn't have got it that way.

So yeah I'm confident in blaming Microsoft for this.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

I am sad for you that you got hacked but there is something you seem unaware of given how you view the Sony situation(they could have helped it though). Nothing you ever do no password is too complex to stop people hacking your account and if people really wanted to and had the time they could rape XBL and make look what happened to Sony like a playful happy slap. Nothing you ever do will stop someone determined enough.

Even those locks on your door are just a deterrent if someone wants to rob you house they can are going to rob your house locks or not just having better locks means they are more likely to rob another's house as it will require less effort. Same goes for anything online like this.

This is not MS's fault(probably) this is life.

 

[CannibalCorpses]

I downgraded to silver after one of my friends got hacked a few months ago. Microsoft are pretty random at dealing with the problem. I've heard people say that it was all sorted in a few days and my mate is still waiting months after the event. It shows some pretty poor response on one of the richest companies going...bastards!

Just what everyone expects of them i guess

 

[CannibalCorpses]

I am sad for you that you got hacked but there is something you seem unaware of given how you view the Sony situation(they could have helped it though). Nothing you ever do no password is too complex to stop people hacking your account and if people really wanted to and had the time they could rape XBL and make look what happened to Sony like a playful happy slap. Nothing you ever do will stop someone determined enough.

Even those locks on your door are just a deterrent if someone wants to rob you house they can are going to rob your house locks or not just having better locks means they are more likely to rob another's house as it will require less effort. Same goes for anything online like this.

This is not MS's fault(probably) this is life.

I have a sword for people who get past the locks... ;o)

 

[tkioz]

I am sad for you that you got hacked but there is something you seem unaware of given how you view the Sony situation(they could have helped it though). Nothing you ever do no password is too complex to stop people hacking your account and if people really wanted to and had the time they could rape XBL and make look what happened to Sony like a playful happy slap. Nothing you ever do will stop someone determined enough.

Even those locks on your door are just a deterrent if someone wants to rob you house they can are going to rob your house locks or not just having better locks means they are more likely to rob another's house as it will require less effort. Same goes for anything online like this.

This is not MS's fault(probably) this is life.

I have a sword for people who get past the locks... ;o)

Sword? I have a god-damn shotgun loaded with saltpeter in one barrel (the left) and buckshot in the other incase they don't get the hint the first time.

 

[Uber Evil]

EDIT EDIT: Also, a password is a great deterrent but with enough persistence a 12 character password with symbols, uppercase/lowercase and numbers can be broken.

I believe this [http://xkcd.com/936/] is relevant to this. Sorry about your problems dude. Don't use XBL or PSN, and am too young to have a credit card, so...

 

[barbzilla]

The charges were made to your account, it wasn't a case of xbox live being hacked, but a case of your account being compromised. Most compromised xbox accounts are compromised because you use the same email/password combo at other websites or other companies who have been compromised (like sony) and your account info was stolen from them. Try calling their support and getting an investigation started on your account for the charges.

Well I've considered that, but I haven't used my Windows Live or XBOX Live accounts for months, I haven't even turned my xbox on for months, my eyes have gone and I can't see the TV to play it so what's the point.

So it wasn't malware.

All my passwords are randomly generated 12 characters long, and never used on more then one site, so that's out.

My email account that is used for accounts is an ISP account that's locked to my IP (slight pain but worth it for security), so they couldn't have got it that way.

So yeah I'm confident in blaming Microsoft for this.

If you use that email address as a log in or email address for other websites/games/ect then you have taken your first steps. If you use the same password then you have completed the path to insecurity. All it takes is for that website to get hacked and your info get stolen from them for the hacker to know what to try when trying to access your xbox live account. I work with account security and I see it all the time.

 

[Balls Mandingo]

had that problem recently actually. Someone hacked my account and made over $150 in charges. Changed the password and all that jazz. Called Xbox live support, said theyd launch an investigation and temporarily lock the account so no one could make any charges, said it usually takes about a week, maybe 2 in some cases. About a week goes by, no word from Xbox, and someone made yet another charge from my account despite it supposedly being "locked". Gave them another call, told them about it, they said theyd handle it.

Well, a little over a month goes by, still no word and I'm getting a bit impatient. Decide to try something for myself. Go onto the windows Live site, request new password sent to the email I opened the account with (first thing I did when my account was compromised was change ALL the passwords for my important emails), manually reset it, got back onto my xbox, went to system settings and recovered my account, chose a new password and all that jazz. Went to my bank, showed them which charges were fraudulent, they closed that card, ordered me a new one (only took 5 days to come in the mail) and had the funds back in my account the next day. Funny thing is, since the bank refunded my money without a fuss, all the money that guy spent on my account towards miscellaneous charges (a few games and a few thousand microsoft points) are basically mine for free now. Not only that but all the guy really did, besides buy a bunch of shit, was play a bunch of online games and add a bunch of friends and change my avatar. All in all it ended up increasing my Xbox profile stats, all I had to do was delete the people I didn't know and change my avatar back. So all in all, not a bad outcome. Xbox live support is more or less useless though, it seems

 

[subtleoxidation]

Same thing happened to me about a month ago. Took about two weeks to get my money back. Just make sure that they shut down your account until they have it figured out. After the first time I called them, they didn't shut my account down and the hijacker bought more points. Called them again and chewed them out, and things started moving. Took about a month to get my account back though. My advice to you is to stay on top of them and they will get things moving.

 

[Sparcrypt]

Use the same password for everything? If so... yeeeeah bad idea.