On the 11th October, a user named Speedjack discovered that his gamertag had been “recovered” to another user’s machine.
”I then find out that I’ve had 5000 then 500 MS points bought on my credit card. Better yet, all the points including the 120 I had already on my account are gone… all spent on FIFA 12 content packs yesterday afternoon while I was at work. Not only that, but my account now has 35 FIFA 12 achievement points on it!!! Never played the game in my life - hate football.”
Microsoft has taken action by freezing suspect accounts for up to a month. Electronic Arts offered a “no comment” when queried about the scam, but did direct users to its FAQ regarding account protection. The forum post contains information on fake emails and copycat websites, phishing, redirects, scare tactics and password integrity.
Microsoft has reported no other issues with Xbox Live’s security, but did offer the following statement: ”We do not have any evidence the Xbox Live service has been compromised. We take the security of our service seriously and work on an ongoing basis to improve it against evolving threats.
“However, a limited number of members have contacted us regarding unauthorised access to their accounts by outside individuals. We are working with our impacted members directly to resolve any unauthorised changes to their accounts.
“As always, we highly recommend our members follow the Xbox LIVE Account Security guidance provided at www.xbox.com/security to protect your account.”
