Beware Scam!

[RiversideGuy]

2 issues, I tried to post this in the Bug Report/Not a Bug report, but was locked out of posting there (grrr). Not quite sure where it belongs, but here I at least CAN make a post.

I like to think that I have a big leg on on most folks because I've been doing this technology thing for way longer than most. Think I got my britches handed to me. Yesterday I got a tell in game about some raffle contest. Went to the link, for all intent and purposes it was the SE Forum site. It wanted me to log in, so I did, again everything looked EXACTLY like what it "should" look like. BUT when I logged in, that post was nowhere to be seen. THEN I noticed that it was to the EU forums, for which I think a separate login is required. Fine.

Today I get an email locking my account for suspicious behavior... so I go through the process of updating my PW. Log out, hit a few points to see if my new PW works, all seems fine. Yup, can not use, my old PW to log into the game. Get another tell today same deal, but I was in a hurry and blanked on what happened previously so I use that new password trying to log-in. THEN I remembered. Of course I TRIED to report the scam but the ONLY option was "Report RMT activity," which is wasn't exactly. Of course, I immediately again changed my PW.

So, SE ya GOT to have more options for reporting stuff... after I stopped short with the RMT, I went back to file it FOR that, BUT I got DCed.

Looking into my "data" to see where I missed the beat... yup, the url tells the tale. Here are the 2 URLs I "missed:"

square-enix.com-lr-eu
square-enix.com-yj.us

NEEDLESS to say, always check the URL VERY carefully. It was amazing how mirroring the real thing the landing pages were.

[ItMe]

So, SE ya GOT to have more options for reporting stuff... after I stopped short with the RMT, I went back to file it FOR that, BUT I got DCed.

I totally agree.
Also, thanks for the PSA on this scam.

[RiversideGuy]

It seems being quick on the trigger to change my password was the wrong move! It DID allow me into the game, I found I was on another world, as I transferred back to my home, I saw someone administered a slap (don't blame them). All my FC-mates were happy I was back in business. No inventory and no gill was looted from me... obviously they only wanted to spam in-game. SOO I go to find out about getting an authenticator, boom suspended. He tried to send me to a reset link, it is supposed to auto-send me a code, but failed (I know all about this issue, I saw the same thing 6 years ago when I first bought the game, I had to use a gmail address). NOW it gets escalated to a GM and I have no idea what they will do... I got the shaft 6 years ago for something I was clearly/obviously NOT at fault for.

Odd they forgot to shut off my access to the forums!

[Jeeqbit]

This scam has been happening for over a year and unfortunately, all of the people sending you a tell are themselves a victim.

[Naria]

Phishing scams are unfortunately pretty common in this game. SE does have a notice about them on the Lodestone: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodes...ff65cc98c644ed.

A good rule of thumb is not to follow links that anyone you don't know posts in game (or anywhere else really). Also, if you are on a site that in asking for a password that you followed from a link, it is always a good idea to click to lock in your browser's address bar and check the security cert is to the correct website before imputing anything.

[RiversideGuy]

More times than not I catch it in the url... I just didn't look at it slowly enough to spot the tell. DUMB... I did immediately change the pw when I realized it... I DID log into my account, saw no gill or inventory lost, I had an outpouring of support from my fc mates. It was when I went to arrange for the authenticator I saw I was suspended... I am just afraid they may lock my character (they did that to me 6 years ago) which at this point is kicking me out of the game, I have put an awful lot of time/effort into it AND have never participated in any real RMT.

Oh, one funny thing happened... after to regained control of my character, I got messages about my character was not on my home world (d/oh), but in Behemoth. I went right back to Lamia, to my FC to check retainers and such. I see in chat someone from Behemoth sent me (deserved) a slap!

[Iscah]

2 issues, I tried to post this in the Bug Report/Not a Bug report, but was locked out of posting there (grrr). Not quite sure where it belongs, but here I at least CAN make a post.

The In-Game Bugs subforum is the only part of the Bug Report forum that you can post in. Everything else is the mods' filing system.

In any case this isn't an in-game bug, but an account issue.

And if you're getting the dodgy tells in the game, do report them with the "report RMT" option. That's their ultimate goal – getting hold of your account so they can drain the money out of it and sell it to someone else.

[Frizze]

Of course I TRIED to report the scam but the ONLY option was "Report RMT activity," which is wasn't exactly.

So the only report option that comes up on the interact menu is the RMT one. Technically, that is true enough for what they were doing. Typically they get control of your account, usually empty your gil and your FCs bank if you have access, and use your account to spread the trap URLs. But there is another option for reporting, if you feel the RMT one isnt accurate. Open the System Menu, then pick the Support Desk option. The Contact Us tab has some more options for filing reports. Obviously not as easy as the right-click/interact menu, but available to use in game nonetheless.

And a good rule of thumb is not to follow any link you get sent in game. Doesnt matter who it comes from, as half the scam is taking over your account to send tells to people who wouldnt suspect that you would be sending them dangerous links. Of course Ddasdfasd Lllsahsiln is a scam character*, but Riverside Orias? That sounds like a real character - because it is.

*Disclaimer - I made up the example scam character name by randomly hitting keys on my keyboard. As far as i know it is not a real character(i did not do a character search to find out), and this was in no way an attempt to name & shame. If this happens to be your characters name, i mean you no offense. Clearly i was talking about some other Ddasdfasd and not you. Also, if this is your characters name could you explain why? I would be legitimately curious why someone who wasnt just making a disposable character for RMT farming/spamming would pick such a name.

[RiversideGuy]

The character name seemed legit, i.e. not something like "Ddasdfasd." And yeah, I immediately changed my PW, saw someone else had logged into my character, waited for a bit, finally got logged in. First thing, checked my inv., checked my retainer, check my gil... all exactly as they should be. Since I HAD changed my PW, nobody else had any control of it. When I went to mogstation to figure find out about one time pw, I saw my account had been suspended so I logged out and contacted support (wasn't too painful to get to talk with someone). Explained everything to him... he wanted to try another PW reset, so he sent me to a specific link. Problem is I never got any email with a confirmation number. Reminded me that they still have one auto email process that apparently ONLY accepts a gmail address. I ran into this years ago, I kept trying to create an account and never getting any email returned UNTIL I created a gmail account... I subsequently changed that to my custom email that ONLY SE has... and that has worked exactly how it should... until I ran into this.

He did acknowledge he knew of something like this with "custom" emails BUT because it didn't work, I had to be referred to a GM... as if I was participating in RMT. So I have been waiting on pins and needles since yesterday... I am fearful I'll get a "banned for RMT." The fact I immediately came here, fessed up to my mistake (rto great embarrassment I might add) and tried to warn folks may be completely ignored. I HAVE had a character permanently locked when I really was not at fault (and could explain why) but SE dig their heels on and continually refused...

I'll try and update this thread of any outcome... if you don't hear from me it means I have been kicked out of the game for this simple mistake I readily admitted to.

[Iscah]

The character name seemed legit, i.e. not something like "Ddasdfasd."

That's because they steal and use the accounts of legit players to send the tells, in addition to draining their gil. If you hadn't snatched yours back, there'd be people getting these tells from "you".