I just don't understand!

#0 - May 31, 2010, 6:04 p.m.

I messaged Blizzard the other day through their email websites for account transfer information. Not more than 5 minutes went by and I had my email hacked and some asian brides site was sent out by my email address to everyone in my contacts list, including Blizzard support. Now fortunately I know how to handle that kind of thing and edited my account information and it hasn't happened again.

Now I get this in my email this morning:

Greetings!

lease use the form below to confirm your account information, including your e-mail address and your and Secret Question Answer. Once the fields have been completed, press the "Update" button below.

*Note: Please ensure that your e-mail and Server:is currently accessible submit this form, as future regarding this account Trial mounts will be sent to the you account.

If you are unable to successfully verify your password .
using the automated system, please contact Billing & Account Services at 1-800-59-BLIZZARD (1-800-592-5499) Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm Pacific Time or at [email protected]. Account security is solely the responsibility of the account holder. Please be advised that in the event of a compromised account, Blizzard representatives typically must lock the account. In these cases the Account Administration team will require faxed receipt of ID materials before releasing the account for play.
Regards,

The World of Warcraft Support Team Blizzard Entertainment

Well if I wasn't a smart person I might actually go to this site and get all my information hacked again, but fortunately, I am a smart person. Now, if you want to try telling me it's on my end and that it's my fault I'm here to tell you it's NOT my fault ... it's yours. I am a Computer Science major and know my stuff when it comes to the ins and outs of the computer. I had a fresh OS on my computer when my email was hacked, so there is NO way it was me. As for my email being compromised by the company, I didn't have this issue until I contacted you via your email website... so you tell me what is the problem on your end?

I am a little perturbed by all the hacking in a game that I enjoy playing. I have been a member of the Blizzard community since practically the beginning of the game release. I have seen spammers go crazy and I have seen a few accounts get hacked here and there, but on the stupidity of the person in possession of the account. It wasn't until you merged with battle-net that the real hacking started, I have friends left and right that have been getting hacked and losing everything that they have worked for. I have been one of the fortunate few, that haven't been hacked ... yet *knocks on wood*. But so help me I am tired of feeling like I am at risk and at any moment I can get hacked. I take all the safety precautions and make sure my system is safe. Now what are doing on your end to ease the mind of the Blizzard community.

#58 - May 31, 2010, 7:05 p.m.

Q u o t e:
We are all compromised, that is MY point!

No, I'm afraid not. I will admit that this situation is novel since it does not even pertain to World of Warcraft account, but rather a third party email address. I apologize if this coincidence has lead you to an erroneous conclusion though.

Up to this moment and the very best of my knowledge, Blizzard Entertainment has not been compromised. I'm sorry to say that (by whatever method) the compromise occurred somewhere within your domain. It is most likely that your information was phished, though there are other possibilities such as keylogging. Regardless, whatever your background might be, this compromise occurred due to some measure within your control. If you are to deal with it appropriately, it is crucial for you to recognize that. This is empowering, as it allows you to take the steps necessary to make sure that this doesn't occur again.

I've replied to similar issues in the past, and here is an example (which quotes a prior post). I highly recommend reading it thoroughly:

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=25026402807&sid=1&pageNo=2#25

Admittedly, most of our security advice pertains to World of Warcraft accounts rather than personal email addresses, but you might find the resources in this thread helpful:

Account Hacked? Security Issue? Look Here!
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=24702231244&sid=1

Speaking of security, if you can find your email address on a popular search engine, then that is a sign of trouble. This would be an excellent time to, after you fully secure your system, change your registered Battle.net email address to a new, confidential email address, and refrain from using it or posting it anywhere else at all; no fan sites, no social networking sites, no registrations - nothing.