What to do if you've been hacked
It seems like every week, someone else is getting hacked. It's a shitty feeling, realizing someone else has violated your account and your characters that you've worked so hard on. Luckily it's a fixable problem, though it may take a few days to get you all sorted out. I've put together a "how-to" guide on what steps to take if you've been hacked, so if it happens to you, or someone you know, feel free to share this info with them.
First, if you don't already have one, GET AN AUTHENTICATOR. I can't stress enough how helpful this simple thing will be in protecting your account. If you have a phone that supports apps, the mobile authenticator is FREE. If you don't, you can pick up an actual authenticator for $6.50 (s/h is free). That's the price of a fast-food meal. And why are you eating fast food anyway? It's unhealthy. So put down the cheeseburger and buy an authenticator instead.
But let's assume you didn't listen to your Auntie Ikuri and thought "Oh I don't need an authenticator! I won't get hacked." Well guess what. You can still get hacked. And you probably will. In fact, let's assume you've already been hacked. You tried to log in and you get an error message. You go to check your account and can't log in. It's asking you for an authenticator even though you don't have one. And then you check the armory and see your character standing there naked. Yep, you've been hacked. So what do you do now?
First, don't panic. It's distressing, seeing your character and your account violated, but realize this happens every day, all the time. You're not alone. Yes it's a lot of your hard work and effort down the drain, but it's recoverable damage.
Next, try to regain control of your account. If you can, change your password immediately. Then change the email associated with your account. Create a new email just for your wow account that you don't use anyplace else. There are plenty of free email services available - Gmail is my preferred choice - so make a new email just for your Blizzard account and start using that.
If the hacker put an authenticator on your account, you'll need to note this so that Support can remove it.
Assess the damage. If you can access your account and log in game, get in and assess the damage to your characters. If you can't log in, check them on the armory. Note which characters were affected and how. Also note if any characters were deleted or transferred.
Contact Blizzard Support. There are several ways to do this, and I recommend doing them all. First, if you can log into game, file an in-game ticket with the GM's. Briefly explain that you have been hacked and request GM support. If you can't, then don't worry. Filing an ingame ticket is just another means of quickly getting the restoral process going. If you can't login, ask guildmates to file a ticket on your behalf. This will help flag your account for temporary suspension so that the hacker can't continue to use it.
One of the fastest ways to start the retrieval process is through the Login and Support page. You can retrieve your password there. You can also begin the recovery process through their online web form.
Next, email Blizzard Support at billing@blizzard.com. Explain that you've been hacked, give the name of your account and the email login (do not give your password - Blizzard doesn't need it) and what characters were affected. Include also what kind of damage was done (ie. money gone, gear sold/removed, characters transferred/deleted).
Contact Billing Support by phone. Phone support is available 7 days a week, from 8am-8pm PST. For US assistance call: 1 (800) 592-5499 || 1 (800) 59-BLIZZARD
Finally, be patient. Account recovery takes time, and it may be a few days, or even a week, before the GM's can get it all sorted out. Just rest assured that they will, and soon you'll be back in Azeroth.
For more detailed information about what to do if you've been hacked, check the following links:
Blizzard's Battle.net Security Page
Official WoW Forums post about what to do if your account was hacked
WoW Ladies guide to ecovering your hacked account
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I will not Put down the Cheeseburger!
om nom nom...
Interesting concept by the way
I MUST PUT DOWN MY CHEESEBURGER BECAUSE IT IS UNHEALTHY AND PURCHASE AN AUTHENTICATOR TO PLAY WORLD OF WARCRAFT ALL DAY!
Now, now
That's just twisting my words around, sir. /shame
Here's one.
Make sure you know the answer to your secret question. We had someone get hacked forever and a day ago, and when they asked him "What's your favorite movie?" he was completely blank on what he'd picked months earlier. That led to his recovery taking longer, which led to him being rude to the account reps, which led to him not getting all his stuff back. So make it easy on yourself. :)
And if your like me, and
And if your like me, and don't use a real answer, just any question (your mother's maiden name for example) and a standard code word, remember that you did that.
I had a bit of trouble getting the name changed on my account because I forgot I did that...
excuse me
but you left off the most important step: run around flailing your arms and cursing the dutch.
/sad face
So it was my account that was hacked this weekend while I was camping. I talked to a GM and they said the wait would be 9 days to recover all of my stuff. Can it take less time or more time? Just wondering if this is just a estimation. Thanks!
P.S.
Special thanks to Ikuri and Slim for giving me the heads up on what was going on while I was gone. <3
Sorry It Happened To You Din
But so far everyone who has been hacked got their stuff back :)
Oh, and please get an authenticator! :) *poke*
Don't forget
1. Jump up from the computer. Scream. Run around the room sceaming like a schoolgirl and waggling your arms.
2. Drop into the fetal position in the corner and cry.
3. Soil self.
4. Full Monty. Repeat Step 1.
5. Run outside. Flagellate self. Wail "WHY? WHY? WHY?".
6. (optional) If raining scream "Nooooooo!" loudly and long with arms spread eagle and looking up. Pretend a boom camera is panning away from you.
7. Run back inside, but miss door, and hit wall next to door.
8. Vomit on porch.
9. Reenter House
10. Proceed with Iky's recommendations.
11. Have someone record the
11. Have someone record the whole thing, post on youtube.
If I may...
I think you forgot two key points there Tal...you MUST suck your thumb while in the fetal position and you MUST spin around in circles while screaming "Nooooooooooooo!" when it's raining out.
Cile is also 100% correct, it's mandatory...
Don't send in the e-mail your account name/email address
OK, this is an edit....read the following, but I missed something when I read the main one earlier... There are 2 e-mails to e-mail blizzard, ok 3, but you will only be using 3 of the 4. oh snap, I just said 3, there are 4. bah humbug
Depending on what happened with your account while it was in the hackar's hands, you may need to e-mail 3 out of 4 of these e-mail addresses. When you do, be presise, give information in order, and make sure it is complete. Use Microsoft Word, or OOOWrite. Read it a 2nd time, filling in any gaps. Re-read it a 3rd time, like you are a newb and don't understand what is going on...(you may want to ask for help at this point, if a friend has questions about stuff they don't understand, put it in there so the GM's don't get confused. They are people, they can get confused and may miss something) At the begining, give them a name of one of your toon's with their realm, and they can look up all the information they need to.
You don't actually need to send in your account name or e-mail address, and they prefer that you don't. Just type in a name of one of your characters and the realm it is on instead. Also, you must e-mail them from your WoW's account e-mail ONLY, else, the computer errr SERVER, will delete your e-mail and it will never be read.
Also, even if you have not been hacked, Make sure you regularly scan your computer, WHILE WOW IS OPEN WITH GIBBERISH (IE. lijslkdfl) in the Account Name AND Password fields. Most keyloggers don't activate until after WOW or www.battle.net is open with stuff typed in. The best malware scanner that people recommend is malwarebytes.org. There is simply nothing else out there like it. Stuff tries to simulate it, but they don't even come close.
Actually, You'll want to run 3 scans, one Virus scan, One malware scan, and one spyware scan. If either one of them finds anything, REBOOT>SCAN AGAIN. keep doing it until none of them find anything. (keep WoW and battle.net login page open with stuff typed in, such as losijdof89023k4jlskdjfoinaskdjf, in the username and password fields.) <--- That step is important.
Some anti-virus scanners "CLAIM" to have anti-malware, or anti-spyware built in. They don't....or don't have good ones that actually work. Spybot Search & Destroy is a good anti-spyware, and oh damn, it is free. Malwarebytes is AWESOME and BAM, free (or pay, your choice). For anti-virus, I personally use AVG. It isn't as memory intensive as MacCafee or however you spell that, or Norton. oh, and BAM it is free too. (or you can buy the "all in one" version, but you still need Malwarebytes and Spybot)
I'm in the industry....ok, that doesn't really mean anything, but I used to own The Computer Den, Inc in MN. 90% of all my business was removing spyware/malware/viruses. I got damn good at getting rid of them. AVG, Spybot S&D, and Malwarebytes were the 3 of the 4 things I used. I also used Adaware when it was free as well. (Spybot doesn't get everything, and neither did Adaware)
fucking birds....still flying around in here...WTF DO THEY COMEFROM??!?!??!!:??
the industry...
when someone writes that, my thought goes right to the porn industry.
I was hacked a few months
I was hacked a few months ago. I blame the iphone wow apps although Blizz had different theories (which were patently false--no keylogger on my computer, no viruses, clean as a whistle and kept an essential virgin).
Best advice is to keep calling the number first. Their email response is really slow unless you've actually talked with someone first. Then, just be patient. They made no attempt to unlock a 72 hour lockout and I didn't get any stuff back for 12 days...and then it was about 75% of my stuff including none of the gear that I actually was wearing at the time. After another week, order was fully restored. Only bright side is that I levelled unarmed fighting and got those achievements.