Guild Wars 2

Dear Community,

I have been playing GW2 since launch. Recently my account with all my gold, 8 characters, and items was compromised and everything was stolen. I not only put a host of hours into this game but also made in game purchases. I thought that everything would be alright though as ANet has a ticket for this and they can reroll your account… wrong! ANet reviewed all my information (correct information) and denied my request for help. They didn’t give a reason at all. I have spent a lot of money on this game to include gem purchases and ANet outright refuses to help me. I am saddened by this event and have responded again to ANet asking what I can do to prove my account was hacked. It looks quite clear to me. Beware of your accounts and please put an authenticator on them as I have now learned to do. If there is anyone out there that has had a similar situation, please help me! GW2 is one of my few scapegoats from a busy and unforgiving reality and I want to join my community again! Please help!

Sincerely,
Jacob

Gaile,

Thank you for your prompt reply. This is the response from Anet I got via email:

“Martin (Guild Wars 2 Support)

May 06 19:31

Hello Jacob,

After researching the provided information, we will not be able to assist you with accessing this account.

Regards,

Martin
Guild Wars 2 Support Team
http://support.guildwars2.com/
"

So you will have to excuse my thinking that I would not receive any more help with the issue. If that doesn’t sound like a ‘no’ to my ticket I don’t know what does. However, I do appreciate that someone else has taken a look at my issue and given me an update. If the original email response had said they needed more information or more time to verify the account hack I would not have been so distressed. I believe I just received one bad response from an individual, and it is not indicative of the support team as a whole. I respect the ANET support team and hope to report back with everything in a good light soon.

Thank you for your time,
Jacob

P.S. If you think the title is misleading, I suggest “Account Hacked, Use Authenticators” as I would like to see anyone else in the future avoid this issue. I have since added an authenticator and resecured all my emails. I recommend this to EVERYONE who has not done it yet. I found activity from my email all over China and Japan and have since blocked these connections/changed passwords/and added an authenticator to my GW2 account. Please everyone do the same!

Pangur Ban.7095:

P.S. If you think the title is misleading, I suggest “Account Hacked, Use Authenticators” as I would like to see anyone else in the future avoid this issue. I have since added an authenticator and resecured all my emails. I recommend this to EVERYONE who has not done it yet. I found activity from my email all over China and Japan and have since blocked these connections/changed passwords/and added an authenticator to my GW2 account. Please everyone do the same!

You should DEFINITELY change your associated email account as they have HALF your log in credentials for GW2 (and possibly other sites) just by knowing the email account. I would also suggest discontinuing the use of that account (especially for any financial or retail sites you visit regularly or save your CC info on). Better safe than sorry.

Brother Grimm.5176:

Pangur Ban.7095:

P.S. If you think the title is misleading, I suggest “Account Hacked, Use Authenticators” as I would like to see anyone else in the future avoid this issue. I have since added an authenticator and resecured all my emails. I recommend this to EVERYONE who has not done it yet. I found activity from my email all over China and Japan and have since blocked these connections/changed passwords/and added an authenticator to my GW2 account. Please everyone do the same!

You should DEFINITELY change your associated email account as they have HALF your log in credentials for GW2 (and possibly other sites) just by knowing the email account. I would also suggest discontinuing the use of that account (especially for any financial or retail sites you visit regularly or save your CC info on). Better safe than sorry.

I totally agree with you. I’m in process now of swapping out all my account info away from that email! I am waiting though for ANET to restore my account before changing the email as my ticket is open under this email. I just hope ANET comes through. I didn’t realize account security was as poor as it was without an authenticator. I hope ANET publishes a larger PSA in the login screen about authenticators and the trouble that they can save you in the event your email or account is compromised.

I’ve been hacked twice in 24 hours and lost a precursor and over 154 gold among other stuff. How do I put in a ticket and how did they get round the security?

Just seen my T6 mats, ecto and stack of dye gone as well as twilight armour on several chars.

Stevethetrain.5170:

I’ve been hacked twice in 24 hours and lost a precursor and over 154 gold among other stuff. How do I put in a ticket and how did they get round the security?

To submit a request for assistance, go to Top of Page – Support – Submit a Request. Good luck.

Make sure to secure your computer and the email address associated with your game account first: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/support/account/Account-Security-What-you-need-to-know/first#post3884132

Pangur Ban.7095:

Brother Grimm.5176:

Pangur Ban.7095:

P.S. If you think the title is misleading, I suggest “Account Hacked, Use Authenticators” as I would like to see anyone else in the future avoid this issue. I have since added an authenticator and resecured all my emails. I recommend this to EVERYONE who has not done it yet. I found activity from my email all over China and Japan and have since blocked these connections/changed passwords/and added an authenticator to my GW2 account. Please everyone do the same!

You should DEFINITELY change your associated email account as they have HALF your log in credentials for GW2 (and possibly other sites) just by knowing the email account. I would also suggest discontinuing the use of that account (especially for any financial or retail sites you visit regularly or save your CC info on). Better safe than sorry.

I totally agree with you. I’m in process now of swapping out all my account info away from that email! I am waiting though for ANET to restore my account before changing the email as my ticket is open under this email. I just hope ANET comes through. I didn’t realize account security was as poor as it was without an authenticator. I hope ANET publishes a larger PSA in the login screen about authenticators and the trouble that they can save you in the event your email or account is compromised.

Here’s what you do: get a new email address and the email support saying future updates to the ticket will be from this email from the new email address. That way those who have unauthorized access will be less likely to derail your ticket.

Seera.5916:

Pangur Ban.7095:

Brother Grimm.5176:

Pangur Ban.7095:

P.S. If you think the title is misleading, I suggest “Account Hacked, Use Authenticators” as I would like to see anyone else in the future avoid this issue. I have since added an authenticator and resecured all my emails. I recommend this to EVERYONE who has not done it yet. I found activity from my email all over China and Japan and have since blocked these connections/changed passwords/and added an authenticator to my GW2 account. Please everyone do the same!

You should DEFINITELY change your associated email account as they have HALF your log in credentials for GW2 (and possibly other sites) just by knowing the email account. I would also suggest discontinuing the use of that account (especially for any financial or retail sites you visit regularly or save your CC info on). Better safe than sorry.

I totally agree with you. I’m in process now of swapping out all my account info away from that email! I am waiting though for ANET to restore my account before changing the email as my ticket is open under this email. I just hope ANET comes through. I didn’t realize account security was as poor as it was without an authenticator. I hope ANET publishes a larger PSA in the login screen about authenticators and the trouble that they can save you in the event your email or account is compromised.

Here’s what you do: get a new email address and the email support saying future updates to the ticket will be from this email from the new email address. That way those who have unauthorized access will be less likely to derail your ticket.

Thanks, I didn’t know that worked! I am also setting up two step verification on my current email to also deter hackers. I will be creating a new one as well. Thank you!

It’s sad people do this

Stevethetrain.5170:

I’ve been hacked twice in 24 hours and lost a precursor and over 154 gold among other stuff. How do I put in a ticket and how did they get round the security?

They likely hacked the email account associated with GW2 account. They can request a password change from your email and it will be assumed to be coming from you (since it IS the valid email on the account). Change your email account password and keep in mind that some webmail sites MAY allow a hacker to keep the email page open indefinitely even after you change the password. Per above suggestions, abandon that email account entirely.

Many emails allow you to see recent account activity and you are able to see if someone other than you is accessing your account. Please review the security on your email and if you see any of these outside your network accesses… your email is compromised… abandon as per suggestion.

Something else to think about is people leave their serial code emails stored on whatever email service they use. If that email gets compromised there goes your serial code.

Pangur Ban.7095:

This should almost be a sticky for account hacks I haven’t seen any threads that are permanent for people to reference. Correct me if I am wrong please. This can be a go to thread for what to do in the event you are hacked. How to secure your email, your GW2 account, set up authenticators, check email account activity, and get back to questing!

Sticky at the top of the page: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/support/account/Account-Security-What-you-need-to-know/first#post3952587

Pangur Ban.7095:

Many emails allow you to see recent account activity and you are able to see if someone other than you is accessing your account. Please review the security on your email and if you see any of these outside your network accesses… your email is compromised… abandon as per suggestion.

Keep in mind that in the case of my compromise I HAD definite proof that my email had been compromised (The ticket the hacker opened to change my password on my GW2 account) and yet my email provider (starts with a Y and ends with a OO) indicated nobody but me had ever accessed it. I was given a lot of double talk when I asked them about the compromise and lack of correct info and needless to say I no longer use them (and take everything I am told by corps with a grain of salt…. Hey, it’s free email….).

I’m wonder if I shouldn’t just abandon this game and be done with it.. I’ve spend a fair bit of money on this game and not I have to create a whole new email even though my serial code was stored on my old account.

I just feel so depressed and it looks like anet is being less than helpful with it customers.

Stevethetrain.5170:

I’m wonder if I shouldn’t just abandon this game and be done with it.. I’ve spend a fair bit of money on this game and not I have to create a whole new email even though my serial code was stored on my old account.

I just feel so depressed and it looks like anet is being less than helpful with it customers.

Finding out your email account is not secure by losing virtual game items is better than finding out by losing your credit score and all your non-virtual financial assets. At least for most, it would be. Creating a new email account is quite easy…a few clicks and typing a few alpha-numeric characters. Surely, you no longer want to use the email account you have now, knowing it is vulnerable to any kind of account thieves?

I’ve been getting a lot of gold selling/spam whispers all with the exact same text, from multiple accounts. I’m wondering if people’s accounts are being compromised on a massive scale? Please look into this Anet, I received about 12 different whispers in less than an hour and reported and blocked them all, but it isn’t fair to the owners of hacked accounts.

It seems this is a much wider and systemic issue than I once thought. I hope that by taking all the recommended security steps that ANET and the forums have guided me too I can avoid these issues in the future, I am still waiting on an account fix from the hack but will be sure to keep posting my progress here.

Stevethetrain.5170:

I’m wonder if I shouldn’t just abandon this game and be done with it.. I’ve spend a fair bit of money on this game and not I have to create a whole new email even though my serial code was stored on my old account.

I just feel so depressed and it looks like anet is being less than helpful with it customers.

The game is too good to abandon! Make sure to save your serial and work the security fixes!

Stevethetrain.5170:

I’ve been hacked twice in 24 hours and lost a precursor and over 154 gold among other stuff. How do I put in a ticket and how did they get round the security?

The same thing happen to me as well in less then 24 hours lost 356 gold and almost everything I work on. I wrote Anet 3-4 ticket in less then 24 hours.

Xion.5968:

Stevethetrain.5170:

I’ve been hacked twice in 24 hours and lost a precursor and over 154 gold among other stuff. How do I put in a ticket and how did they get round the security?

The same thing happen to me as well in less then 24 hours lost 356 gold and almost everything I work on. I wrote Anet 3-4 ticket in less then 24 hours.

Be aware, the more tickets you send in, the longer the response time. You would do best to close out all tickets but the original. Good luck.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/support/account/How-to-Submit-a-Ticket-Account-Issues-2/first#post3954

Xion.5968:

Stevethetrain.5170:

I’ve been hacked twice in 24 hours and lost a precursor and over 154 gold among other stuff. How do I put in a ticket and how did they get round the security?

The same thing happen to me as well in less then 24 hours lost 356 gold and almost everything I work on. I wrote Anet 3-4 ticket in less then 24 hours.

More tickets means a slower response time for EVERYONE, make sure you close the duplicates.

I proudly appreciate miss Gaile Gray to show up and give back hope for people.
This problem is larger than we think, because people are touch world wide.

-Secure your emails the best you can ; use authentificator plus mobile

My Question is : Will all the people that will stand and PROVE that they are the original owner of there account and have the courage to fight for there account will get justice ?

I sure hope so, it would be an injustice to those gamers who are just playing the game to lose what they paid for and put time into. I know ANET is working hard though to fix these issues.

This is pathetic. Registered IP Address, Authorized in Washington State….goes live in China and bam automatically registered a TW IP Address (Tiawan). Great lack of security.

Right up there with Home Land Security having a party in Hawaii.

You have severe holes in your security if your allowing unregistered IP addresses to take control of accounts.

Its been 16 hours im still waiting for my gear to get back to me. Fortunatly the authenticator is up now there shouldnt be any more break throughs. But seriously wat is there to freakin investigate I live in california how can I get to china 3hrs after i log off. theres nothing to investigate roll back the time on my account let me get my stuff back so i can actually enjoy my 2 days off from work b4 i have to go back and kittened off even more.

isnt there a dam phone number i can call to at least figure out where they are at cuz i havnt had an email responded to for over 5 hrs.

I feel you. I got the items inside my guild bank stolen by the hacked account of my bestfriend (a guild of just 2 members).
Anet verified it was hacked, they’re willing to give him a rollback, but right now they’re refusing to restore the items that were in our bank as if it was some kind of internal prank or tricksy between guild members. They know it was an hacker, it makes no sense.
They don’t even tell us WHY they can’t.
I hope we both can receive out things back Pan :*

lately I’ve seen a lot of gold spammers and hijackers. Some don’t even report it, cause they don’t know how. I hope security is working on fixing this massive violation of the game before it gets waay out of hand.