Last night while on my PS3 I was randomly signed out of my system with a message. "A person with the same ID as you has signed in at a different location".
I first thought, "oh, one of my friends is trying to sign in and gameshare". But I was using my online, so I signed back in. Then I was signed back out..........so I signed back in.....and then back out again......and so and son on.
I thought, dammit, stop that.....So went to look to see who was online.I called the 3 people that I had set up on their systems. My brother, Beatfreaker(Jay) and Rowan(Ian). 2 weren't even on their systems and the 3rd was watching Netflix.
So this means that someone had hacked my account, I'm well aware that the only way you can sign in at a different location is when someone signs you in someplace else.
So I immediately changed my password and worried about future events like this, I then went and called Sony of America to report the situation and ask what can be done to prevent this kind of thing.
The first lady I got sounded like a woman who should be on Judge Judy because her sister owes her $150.00.
After explaining what happened, she then started a step by step process that lead me back to change my password. I already did that......well she said, you are fine then.
I then proceeded to explain that someone was attempting to hack me. She responded with, but your not hacked right now?..so everything is fine. We can't help you if you aren't hacked.
Dammit woman, they tried to hack it, I'm looking to help out here so you guys can trace down the location of sign-in using the IP. She then proceeded to explain that because I was in control of my account at the moment everything was fine and how do I know that these other systems you have set up that your friends aren't trying to sign you in??
God Dammit lady, I called everyone who has my account details, they aren't trying to sign in with my account. LEAVING the only other solution, that someone that I don't know has somehow hacked my account...and with all the jail breaking of the PS3, this highly possible!
Again, she came back with my account is not currently hacked so they can't help. It was only until I gave her an analogy. I said," I'm trying to be proactive here and stop people who are doing this, so that Sony can better protect its costumers. Lets say that someone is robbing your house and you walk in on them, so they run away. You call the police and tell them, you can see the robbers running down the road, please hurry. The police then say,'did they take anything?"
Well no.....that's because I caught them in the process...but if you come now, you can catch them so they don't try it again. Sorry, the police can only come help if indeed your house was robbed."
After that little blurp, she sent me to tech support. Here's another whole can of beans.
I get a guy and explain my situation....he immediately stops me after I said, I'm set up on my friends system..."whoa, whoa, whoa...do you realize you are in violation of Sony User agreement?.............Did you read the user agreement?"
I said,"no....but what violation". He then explains that game sharing is only meant to be done with systems within your own household.......You do realize that we can shut down your system and all other systems that you are currently signed in on?"
It was at this point that I think I shit my pants a little, my only response was a truthful one," I didn't know that, I thought game sharing could be with anyone.... I had no excuse besides claiming ignorance. Which I know is not an excuse and I was literally at this guys mercy. Fortunately he wasn't a total douche.
I went on to explain that I was avid user on the PS3, had it since launch, look at my account details, see all the games I purchased, look at when I activated my account several years ago. I had no idea that I was doing anything wrong, as far as I knew everybody was game sharing with friends. I honestly felt like some sort of criminal.
He then said that he could do a curtsy wipe. Although he could see the number of accounts I had created on different systems, 3 of which I was aware of and the 4th one was the one I didn't know. He wouldn't tell me the location of that 4th system, then I could know for sure that it was a hacker, cause I don't know anyone in Utah.
But luckily he didn't shut off my system and all systems that was signed in on. Instead he gave me a clean slate. He cleared all my accounts and made it look like I had never signed in anywhere. That was very nice of him, even if he did start the conversation very High and mighty !
He said himself,"he's not trying to be an ass, but they are required to report stuff like that and shut down the systems when they come across it". I count myself very lucky that I got someone who wasn't a total ass.
With that, all my data was reset and I started anew. So if it ever happens again, I just call back and tell them and then shut down the other computer that is trying to access my account because I am did not sign in on other accounts.
But with that, everything is fixed but I am no longer game sharing, even though it was my brother and 2 close friends who I trust. But if he was a douche, he could easily screwed over 4 people, me and 3 other users. All with dead PS3's! So I dodged a bullet in my opinion.
With that,I don't have access to my friends games anymore and that's OK and they can't access me anymore. If anything, this was a learning experience and I walked away unscathed. So if you are going to game share...and call support....if they see that you are signed on (and they can) different systems. You are taking a big risk, cause they can shut all those systems down.
With that, I am done game sharing with my question of " Who hacked my account?" still unanswered. So I guess I have to be content with that, but what would have happened if I wasn't online to catch them in the process...what would have happened? That's what you get when you try and be helpful.
4 comments:
aw, now I know why you going online and offline so many times... I thought you were having connection problems like I do sometimes, lol.
Yeah, it was super annoying. But hopefully its all taken care of now. IF it happens again, then apparently, I leave it so that person is logged in and call Sony support and they shut down his/her PS3.
If they saw the odd system in Utah, why the hell didn't they wipe that system???
I see their point about violating the user agreement. That really is in there. I was bored enough to read it once lol.
I know that to combat the "publisher digital push movement", more and more people are starting to setup individual accounts and then put one single downloaded game on them. That way when they want to resell something that is digital download only they basically just sell off the access password. It is an interesting spin on the issue considering the trouble you go through to do it. But for die hard collectors like myself I see no other way to "temporarily own" something intangible and retain the right to resell. It is one effective way of sticking it to the man though!
This will work until services like EBay start banning the sale of "accounts". You will always still be able to sell locally, but it would be a lot more difficult.
However, this could start a lengthy argument for or against consumer software rights. Ultimately the trend is leaning more towards publishers making more money and the consumers getting slowly screwed. I do at least agree with the general consensus that Gamestop is slowly infecting the world very much like Walmart has already done. There are only a handful of mom and pop game stores left around here where there used to be dozens.
Good luck with that discussion!
Ok stepping off my soap box. : )
Yeah, they were more concentrating on the fact that I was activited on several accounts as oppose to that one that I didn't know about it.Making it very clear that...what we will do for you is clear your account as oppose to shutting down 4 different PS3's.
So at that point, I kinda didn't want to debate the unknown activation. If it happens again though, its simple and easy. I call and they shut down the unlucky fellow trying to use my account.
Owning online media and reselling it I think is in a changing market where they aren't really sure what to do, besides just make difficult for consumers. I think they are going about it wrong, there as to be a more beneficial way.
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