I've posted in a lot of "I got hacked" types of threads over the past week and I just wanted to update everyone and give my thoughts on a few topics.

For anyone who's seen me post, yes, my husband account was finally and joyfully un-suspended a few hours ago. Making it the 11th day after it was first compromised. Ten to eleven days seems to be the magic number of days for a few people around the forums.


Account Suspension

The Wait:

Yes, it sucks but there is literally no way around the wait that anyone can find.

Assume you're going to wait at least 10 days before the investigation is finished and you'll hopefully be un-suspended.

Contacting Customer Service:

You have a few choices here. Sending a ticket by email, live chat, and phone support. The sooner you start the steps here the better, especially your email ticket.

The one thing can I can say may have helped my husband is that he was very specific when talking to them about exactly when he thought his compromise happened and pinned it down to a 9 hour window. Make sure that you tell them when you logged off, when you discovered it was hacked / suspended, and how you knew it was an RMT compromise (the mog station showed I had a gibberish named character created on another server that isn't mine).

I'd assume more specifics you can give the easier you're making it on them. And easier means faster.

Email Ticket: First off you should always send an email. This is how your ticket number is created and if you get on the phone with them their first question will be "what is your ticket number".

Live Chat: The live chat wait is around 1-2 hours or more. While live chat support can't do anything other then tell you they'll escalate your escalation, I can assume it's still good to call in and show you're actively trying to get your account back.

Phone Support: The average wait time for phone support is also 1-2 hours or more. The same thing applies for phone support as live chat, they can't actually do anything other then to reassure that there is an on-going investigation.

(310) 846-0345


Increasing Account Security

Choosing your password:
  • Pick a very long password. If 20+ is good 30+ is better.
  • Use something that you'll remember, but doesn't make sense when you string it together.
    Don't use: cutefuzzykittens Use: purplesheepforestkettlepajamas .... see what we're doing here?
  • Make use of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols.
  • Don't use the same password on other sites. Or email.

The Token:

While some people have said their token somehow got removed. I'm assuming that one more hurdle to jump over will deter them from choosing you or just going with the guy using "password123" and no token.

Again, we've got options here: Iphone or Android smartphone, Authenticator, or the Android Emulator for your computer. No matter what you pick, write down your emergency password and/or email it to yourself. And make it an email that isn't associated with your SE account.

Iphone/Android: It's called SQEX TOKEN....so go download it, now.

Authenticator: Buy it from their website, you press the button on the device and it pops out a password good for about one minute. If you don't have a iphone or android type smartphone and you're NOT tech-savvy, I'd suggest this route.

Android Emulator: Most people use this for developing applications. However, it can be used to install the SQEX TOKEN on it. Meaning: score...no wait for your authenticator and no shelling out money for one.

Obvious warning here for the android emulator, you'll have to have access to the computer you put the emulator on to log into your account.


RMT Spamming

I am by no means an expert on dealing with RMT spamming in cities, but I want to share how I deal with it.

New Chat Window for Cities: Create a chat window that doesn't include shouting for cities or alter an existing one for use. Most people don't use shouting to talk now anyways, since it's so congested. And when you get further into the game it won't matter as much because you'll mainly be chatting on your linkshell and with your free company.

Blacklisting: If someone keeps whispering you, blacklist them. Or just blacklist everyone shouting if you feel it's worth your time. You can click on their name to "send them a message" and then just copy and paste it into your blacklist, makes it easier.

When your blacklist is filling up, start unblocking people near the top. You can do this because the people near the top are from 2 or more days ago. Meaning the account is already suspended and waiting investigation. While that's happening I'd assume the same name can't be created because it still exists. And if that account does get un-suspended after 10 days to 2+ weeks the chances of someone typing out that exact same name again are slim.

Also, most people think that only the RMT spammers with regular names are on hacked accounts, think again. They just create a new character. 95% of the RMT spammers you see are probably on hacked accounts.

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I hope this was semi-helpful to someone out there.

I've been biding my time until my husband and I could play again, so I wanted to make this post before most my free time with him goes to catching up to our friends on FFXIV. Instead of reading the forums like I have been doing the past week and a half.

Here's to hoping everyone who's been compromised will soon be back in game with us.