Greetings Readers,
Today, I'm going to begin what may become a series regarding World of Warcraft account actions taken by Blizzard, and documenting the outcome of this. As I have no other experiences to relate at the moment, I will relate instead the account action taken against me right now.
As of Monday, 8/31/2009, at 10:33 AM MDT (Mountain Daylight Time), my account was suspended. The first email I received informed me that my battle.net account had been reset, and that a new password was required. A copy of that email is shown entirely below, with account and sensitive information removed.
From: Blizzard Entertainment (noreply@battle.net)
Sent: Mon 8/31/09 10:33 AM
To: [REDACTED]
Subject: Battle.net Account - Password Reset
Battle.net Account - Password Reset
We have reset the password for the Battle.net account associated with this email address. To choose a new password, please click the following link and follow the instructions:
[REDACTED]
If you did not request the reset, it is possible that this Battle.net account has been accessed by someone not authorized to do so. If you notice issues with the Battle.net account or associated games after logging in with your new password, please contact the appropriate support department for assistance immediately: http://us.blizzard.com/support/index.xml?gameId=11
Please remember that it is your responsibility to keep your login information confidential. You may not share access to the account with anyone who is not expressly permitted in the Battle.net Terms of Use and the Terms of Use for the games you play. You are also responsible for every use of your login information, whether you have authorized it or not.
Billing and Account Services can be reached directly at 1-800-592-5499. Players in Australia and Singapore should call 1-800-041-378 and 800-2549927 respectively if unable to connect via the first number. Our representatives are available Monday through Friday, between 8:00AM and 8:00PM Pacific Time.
We encourage you to keep the following security tips in mind when playing an online game on any computer:
- Use up-to-date firewall, antivirus, and anti-spyware software, and scan your system regularly for viruses, Trojans, and key loggers.
- Keep your operating system and other software up-to-date, and be careful when downloading new software.
- Be wary of “spoof” and scam websites and e-mails that pose as Blizzard Entertainment and request account or personal information. As a reminder, Blizzard Entertainment representatives will *never* ask you for your password.
- Use separate, unique passwords for your email, Battle.net account, and any other online accounts.
- Change your passwords regularly and keep Battle.net account information updated using the Account Management page at http://www.battle.net/account
For additional security tips and information, please visit the following site:
- Account Security: http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=26328
If you are looking for an added layer of security, we currently offer the Authenticator, an optional second line of defense that can help prevent unauthorized account access. For more information about how the Authenticator works or how to add one to an account, please visit the Authenticator Information page at http://us.blizzard.com/support/article/24986.
Thank you,
Blizzard Entertainment
Less than one minute after receiving that email, I also received the following email:
From: WoWAccountAdmin@blizzard.com
Sent: Mon 8/31/09 10:39 AM
To: [REDACTED]
Subject: World of Warcraft Account Notice - Final Warning
English speaking customers: Please refer to the start of this mail
Para los clientes españoles: Por favor vayan hasta el fin de este correo electrónico
* * * NOTICE OF FINAL WARNING * * *
Account Name: [REDACTED]
Account Action: 72 Hour Suspension
Reason for Action: Terms of Use Violation - Economy Exploitation
After a thorough investigation, we have found that a player of the account listed above participated in activities designed to gain an unfair advantage in the World of Warcraft economy.
These activities violate the World of Warcraft Terms of Use. We ask that you take a moment to review these terms at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/legal/termsofuse.html.
You may not perform any acts that we consider to be damaging to World of Warcraft. A stable economy is essential for any realm to be successful. Any attempts to manipulate the economy in exploitive ways can have a large negative impact on many players.
This action has been taken in accordance with the Terms of Use and our In-Game Policies (http://us.blizzard.com/support/article/20309). Note that additional policy violations may result in more severe actions against this account, up to and including permanent closure.
A new, randomly generated password will be emailed to you shortly. After you have successfully logged in to World of Warcraft with this new password, please go to the Account Management page (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/account/) and create a new, secure password. For tips on selecting a secure password, visit http://us.blizzard.com/support/article/21130.
It can take up to one hour for our system to generate and send the new password. If you have not received a password within one hour of this message’s delivery, please check your Spam, Junk or Suspect Mail folders.
If you are still unable to locate the email containing your new password, please contact us using this form: http://us.blizzard.com/support/webform-us.xml.
Only the Account Administration department can address disputes or questions you may have about this account action. To learn more about how we are able to assist you, please visit us at http://us.blizzard.com/support/article/21505.
Regards,
Account Administration
Blizzard Entertainment
www.WorldOfWarcraft.com
----
***Advertencia Final***
Nombre de cuenta: [REDACTED]
Acción de cuenta: Cuenta suspendida 72 horas
Tipo de incidente: Violación de Condiciones de Uso - Explotación de la Economía
Después de una investigación encontramos que un jugador de la cuenta mencionada así arriba participó en actividades diseñadas para ganar una ventaja injusta sobre la economía de World of Warcraft.
Esas actividades violan las Condiciones de Uso para World of Warcraft. Quisiéramos que tome un momento para revisar esas condiciones en http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/na/legal/termsofuse.xml
Usted no puede tomar parte en actividades que consideramos ser perjudicial para World of Warcraft. Una economía estable es esencial para cualquier reino. Cualquier intento de manipular la economía en forma de explotación puede tener un gran impacto negativo entre muchos jugadores.
Esta acción ha sido tomada en acuerdo con las Condiciones de Uso (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/es/legal/termsofuse.html) y normas de nuestro juego (http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=23596). La suscripción periódica en la cuenta ha sido incapacitada para prevenir los cargos adicionales.
Lamentamos tener que tomar este tipo de decisiones, pero hemos establecido que en este caso es la mejor solución para así preservar el bienestar de nuestra comunidad y la integridad del juego. Las violaciones contra las cuentas asociadas con la explotación han resultado en la clausura de la cuenta mencionada así arriba.
Una contraseña nueva, generada aleatoriamente será enviada a su correo electrónico en breve. Una vez que haya accedido satisfactoriamente a World of Warcraft con esta nueva contraseña, por favor vaya a la página de Gestión de Cuenta. (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/account/) y crear una nueva contraseña segura. Para obtener consejos sobre cómo seleccionar una contraseña segura, visite (http://us.blizzard.com/support/article/22394).
Puede tomarse hasta una hora para que nuestro sistema genere y envíe la nueva contraseña. Si no ha recibido una contraseña dentro de una hora desde cuando recibió este mensaje, por favor revise su spam, junk mail o carpetas sospechosas.
Si sigue sin poder localizar la dirección de correo electrónico que contiene su nueva contraseña, póngase en contacto con nosotros utilizando el siguiente formulario: (http://us.blizzard.com/support/webform-us.xml).
Si quisiera disputar o si tiene una pregunta sobre esta acción de cuenta, solo puede ser dirigido al departamento de Administración de Cuentas. Para más información en cómo este departamento puede ayudarle, por favor visite el sitio (http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=24688)
Saludos,
Departamento de Administración de Cuenta
Blizzard Entertainment
Immediately concerned and confused by the emails, I sent back a response to the account after reading the emails that afternoon. That email is included below, minus the in-line citation of the email just referenced.
From: [REDACTED]
Sent: Mon 8/31/09 4:02 PM
To: wowaccountadmin@blizzard.com
Subject: RE: World of Warcraft Account Notice - Final Warning
Hello,
I received this notice regarding a suspension, and I am admittedly surprised. I would like to be certain that any violation is addressed on my end as well, but in order to determine what caused the violation to occur, I will require more information on the nature of the violation. Would it be possible for me to get more information on exactly what this economy exploitation was? As I have never purchased nor sold gold or items for real-world gain, I am uncertain what this exploit would be.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
[SIGNATURE REDACTED]
I received back, almost immediately, an automated response included below.
From: donotreply@blizzard.com
Sent: Mon 8/31/09 4:06 PM
To: [REDACTED]
Subject: World of Warcraft – Account Administration
Thank you for contacting the Account Administration team regarding this issue. This is an automated email to let you know that we have received your inquiry. Please do not reply to this email; a response to your message will be sent to you as soon as possible.
While we will attempt to address all concerns as promptly as possible, it may be several days before we are able to respond depending on the total inquiries we receive. We must ask that no additional emails be submitted regarding this issue, as additional emails will ultimately result in undue delays in response time.
In the meantime, we offer other forms of support that are immediately available to you while we process your email.
======================================================
Website Support:
A wide variety of Account Administration questions and answers are available on our web site at: http://www.blizzard.com/support/wowaa
======================================================
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Server Status Forum:
If you cannot log onto World of Warcraft, you may want to check the Server Status Forum for current maintenance downtime and information at: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/board.html?sid=1&forumId=11113
======================================================
======================================================
Game Masters:
Game Masters (GMs) are Blizzard Entertainment personnel that are available in-game to assist you with your gameplay related questions, problems, etc. Learn more about Game Masters, including how to contact them at http://www.blizzard.com/support/wowgm/
======================================================
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Best regards,
World of Warcraft Account Administration Team
http://www.blizzard.com/support/wowaa
Blizzard Entertainment
After looking into what "economy exploit" is, I initially believed it could be related to my use of the Auctioneer add-on for World of Warcraft. However, forum posts related to Auctioneer on the Customer Support forums all repeatedly indicate that action has not been taken related to this add-on in the past, and would not likely contribute. Since I have no other add-ons related to gameplay or the economy, it was not likely that I had done something inadvertent through an add-on.
I then figured someone may have accessed my account without my permission in order to perform such actions. Immediately concerned regarding my characters' equipment and status, I checked their equips through WoW Armory and found that they all seemed to be intact. A friend then graciously checked the guild roster for me in game to determine that my accounts had not been signed in after I left that morning. Since there had also never been characters I didn't recognize, and my characters all logged back in at the same place I logged out, it didn't seem likely that my account had been hijacked. A scan of my system using AdAware from LavaSoft did not find any vulnerabilities or malicious code. The system also is kept up to date constantly through automated patching. It does not seem likely that the account was hijacked.
The final possibility I've found relates to buying and selling gold or power-leveling services for the game. This is a practice which has been offered to me many times in game, and more than once I've told the purveyors that I do not condone their activities and would not like to be contacted again. I personally do not believe there is a purpose to having someone else play the game for me and my guild members can attest to the fact that I am against easy leveling or receiving gifts of gold even within the acceptable interpretation of the terms of service.
At this time, I am left waiting for a response, which could come after my reinstatement. However, without knowing what the reason was behind my ban, I am very concerned about signing back in. If I am inadvertently acting against the Terms of Service without knowing what the infringing action is, I am unable to correct the situation and would face more serious action.
So, I will update this blog as I receive more information, and I am willing to answer any questions that someone has regarding my actions, or for more information. I am also willing to host an open area for other account owners who have action taken against them which they claim to be incorrect, provided there is full disclosure in the manner I have demonstrated above. If you would like me to add your story email me.
In time, this and all things will pass into eternity.
Zalmoran (US - Kirin Tor)
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