[EU] Be Wary of Phishing Attempts via In-game Messages
As we have mentioned in the past, we have confirmed that certain individuals are attempting to direct players to fake login websites imitating the Square Enix Account Management System or FINAL FANTASY XIV-related websites in an effort to steal (also known as “phishing”) information such as Square Enix Account ID and password, as well as date of birth.
The following are some recent examples of Tell messages which direct random players to scamming websites by pretending to invite them to a campaign on the official forums.
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Example 1:
300M raffle giveaway starting in 15mins, post a number 1-30 on the FFXIV forum thread to enter https://■■.square-enix■■.com.■■/ffxiv/forums/
Example 2:
Next mount update https://■■.square-enix■■.com.■■/ffxiv/forums/
Example 3:
2 free mounts https://■■.square-enix■■.com.■■/ffxiv/forums/
The fake URL is pretending to link to the official forum, but has an unusual string of characters in the ■. The URL for our official forums is [https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/].
Example 4:
300M raffle giveaway starting in 15mins: twitch.tv/■■■■■
Some phishing methods direct users to external websites such as Twitch, then redirect them to a fake forum link from there.
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We have confirmed that even accounts using one-time passwords are susceptible to these scams. Since these fake websites require you to enter your one-time password as well, this allows scammers to gain access to your Square Enix account, password, and one-time password. Although one-time passwords are meant to be used only once, entering a one-time password into a fake website merely exposes it to the scammers and does not count as having been used. Scammers can then use the stolen one-time password to log in to your account.
The examples above are just some of the characteristics of scams we have confirmed. However, it is highly likely that scammers will continuously change their phishing methods. Whenever a website asks for your account information, please exercise caution and verify that you are not entering sensitive account information into a fake website.
Please review the following "Be Wary of Suspicious URLs and Websites" page for additional information:
https://sqex.to/1r8aS
* Please review the following "Precautions for Guarding Against Unauthorised Account Access" page below:
https://sqex.to/MM90P
In order to protect your data and personal information, we urge everyone to be cautious when handling account information such as their Square Enix ID and password.