How to tell if a link in game is to a phishing site

[Bacent]

Since this has been happening like crazy since the Make it Rain Campaign, that I've personally seen/been messaged by, lets talk about phishing links.

What are they?

They are sites specifically made to take your log in information, and possibly credit/debit card information.

What happens on those sites?

They make the site look as official as possible, and when you try to interact on posts on there you're required to log in.

By logging in you are giving them your full account information.

What happens if you give them your information?

They can log in to your account any time they please. They're also able to see your forum information as well.

Because you have to pick one of your characters to use as an avatar on the forum, they can also go to the lodestone and look at your public character information.

They also know what world your character(s) is/are on. By seeing that they can estimate what time zone you're more likely in (Usually by country) and they can plan to log in to your account during the most likely hours you will not be playing the game at.

What happens if they log in to my character?

They will go after anything of value on your character. Gil and items will be transfered off in multiple ways.

1. They will use another character they have control of and get you to trade all your valuable items to them.

2. They can have another account set up suspicious sale items on the marketboard. They do this by making a pretty cheap item listed for millions of gil and making you buy it.

3. They will see if you're part of a free company and see if you have permissions in the Free Company Storage and take anything of value (Crystals/Gil/materials/ect)

4. They will see that a character doesn't have much at all/they've taken everything and then use that character to send phishing website links to other players in game. All they need is one person to click their link and put in their information for this to start all over again.

5. Your account could become a 'sleeper account'. This is where they have all your log in information, and they will periodically check in on your character to see if your character has become more valuable. Then they rob your account.


What you can do to protect yourself?

KNOW WHAT A WEBSITE LINK LOOKS LIKE!!!!

Phishing sites usually have a VERY similar URL. But you need to know the small differences.

Example: I use https://forum.square-enix.com/ to get to the forums because I'm in the US.

The phishers would keep it VERY close to the URL by adding very small things like making the site URL like this -> forum.square-enix.com.us

This won't raise many flags for people who take links for granted.

This is the most common way others will click a link thinking it's harmless.


THEY WILL ALSO USE HOT TOPICS TO MAKE PEOPLE MORE LIKELY TO CLICK THE LINKS!!!

Stuff like the following I've personally seen -

Don't let SE change the game for the worse! Go to the forum to voice your opinion <URL LINK HERE>

Giving away 300m gil! Go to the forum and post 1-30 <URL LINK HERE>


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Just PLEASE familiarize yourself with whatever you use, and check everything carefully before clicking ANY link.

Also, if you get a URL from random people in game you've never talked to, just DO NOT CLICK IT.


Please spread the word about this kind of thing to everyone you know.

[Kyrj]

What if they're trying to reach me about my cars extended warranty?

[Vahlnir]

What if they're trying to reach me about my cars extended warranty?

lol

That one always amuses me, because I get those calls and I don't even actually own a vehicle. For me it is so obviously a scam that it hurts. But I'm guessing if they didn't get people to bite they wouldn't keep doing what they're doing.

[lezard21]

How to tell if a link in game is to a phishing site:

1) It's a link
2) It's not in the welcome message

Easy. Assume all links received ingame are links to a phising site. Come on people, the internet's been around for almost 40 years. Be smart.

[Kyrj]

How to tell if a link in game is to a phishing site:

1) It's a link
2) It's not in the welcome message

Easy. Assume all links received ingame are links to a phising site. Come on people, the internet's been around for almost 40 years. Be smart.

Wait so there's not hot singles in my area who want to meet?

[Denston]

There's not 18 million dollars waiting for you to pick up, either. Sorry you had to find out this way.

[ryouma17]

iam not sure why people still fall for phishing attempts when 99% of them are so obvious, also get an authenticator for your account (preferably the physical one) though the mobile one works just as well

[KageTokage]

iam not sure why people still fall for phishing attempts when 99% of them are so obvious, also get an authenticator for your account (preferably the physical one) though the mobile one works just as well

The authenticator helps but a lot of phishing websites will also ask for your authentication code, so it won't necessarily protect people from these scams.

[AkaeiNox]

I posted this filter on another thread.

||square-enix.com*^
@@||square-enix.com^

To be used with content blockers like Ublock Origin or Adblock Plus. That might be useful.

[ItMe]

Astonishingly comprehensive write up OP.
Nice post~