This seems a bit extreme [update]

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 01/14/2019 at 11:12 • Filed to: None

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My son’s Fortnite account got hacked, and we’ve been in contact with Epic to get it sorted out. All he really wants are his two remaining lifetime returns restored. This is the latest email from Epic:

We first need some more information to verify you own the account. We need you to please provide the following information:

• Your public IP address(es) (IPv4), which you can find by searching “What is my IP address” in your internet browser; if you use multiple devices, please include all IP addresses

• Date when you created your Epic Games account (MM/DD/YYYY OR MM/YYYY)

• An invoice ID for any Epic Games purchase you made on the account (the Invoice ID begins with an “A,” followed by 8 digits; example: A12345678)

• Locations (city, state/province) where you made purchases on the account

• Original display name for the account

• Last 4 digits of the first payment card used on the account

• Date of your last login (MM/DD/YYYY)

• Names of any PlayStation, Switch, Twitch, or Xbox accounts connected to your Epic Games account and the dates when they were connected (MM/DD/YYYY OR MM/YYYY)

We also require at least one document related to proof of identity. Please attach an image of one of the following items:

- Passport

- Personal identification

- Recent rent or mortgage statement

We’re serious about player security, so if we’re unable to verify you own the account, we won’t be able to make any changes.

I’m not sure I’m not talking to the hackers themselves. As part of the hack, my son received a whole bunch of V Bucks (in-game money). I’m about ready to tell Epic to pound sand and tell my kid to go ahead and spend the money. I just don’t want them to ban him since we’ve gone this far.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

UPDATE:

I have penned the following email, which I have not yet sent.

I am writing this on behalf of my son, •••••• , who is a minor. This seems like an extraordinary amount of information to ask anybody to provide over the Internet. Frankly, you are practically asking for the keys to the kingdom and, to be honest, I can’t even be certain that I am actually speaking with somebody from Epic. We have changed his password, and will enable 2FA. All we are asking for is the return of two of his three lifetime returns.

Thank you.

TTYYMMNN

for ••••••

Assuming this is a legit email account (support@epicgames.mail.helpshift.com), my concern at this point is that, if I don’t give them the info, they will ban his account.

I went into my kids’ accounts and deleted the credit cards that they had saved (I normally never save any CC information, they didn’t ask before doing so, unless you are forced to by Epic, not sure). I am also going to enable 2FA on their accounts, but you have to use an Authenticator App, such as Google Authenticator, LastPass Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Authy. I have no experience with such things. Do these run through the phone? You can also have a code sent via email, but that can take a long time with our accounts.

Any advice from more gamer savvy Oppos?

Nibby > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 09:01

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BAN FORTNITE

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 09:02

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I’ve had my mortgage or credit card company give me less trouble to verify me. Wow.

Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 09:07

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easiest way for this to be resolved is for your kid to delete fortnite

ttyymmnn > Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner 01/14/2019 at 09:07

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I wish.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 09:08

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Surprised they don't need fingerprints and DNA samples

xc90v8/I4 :( > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 09:29

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I don’t know but this does somehow sound fishy.. But I guess they could use some of this info to differenciate between you and the hackers in their log files for a report to the police or whatever.

Just make veryvery sure you’re actually talking to Epic.. ask them for even more info than they did.

ttyymmnn > xc90v8/I4 :( 01/14/2019 at 09:41

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I think I’m going to reply to them and explain that I’m writing on behalf of my minor son, a nd that I am leery of the information that they are asking me for, since such information would be a goldmine for somebody who is trying to steal my identity or my account information.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 09:51

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Sounds very fishy. 10/10 would make kido play back to where he was at and not give them this info. If they get your IP addresses and account info hacking will be much easier.

InFierority Complex > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 09:57

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Kotaku seems full of articles about Epics bad customer service and account hacking. That seems like asking an awful lot just to confirm an account. Maybe check in with the official forums and see if they have a support section before replying to that email.?

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 10:05

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Just give them your son. It's easier and solves the issue.

ttyymmnn > InFierority Complex 01/14/2019 at 10:08

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Thanks for the link. When he noticed changes to his account, we looked and saw that somebody had linked it to an xbox. We unlinked it, then changed his password. I’m not exactly how it is best to proceed at this point. 

ttyymmnn > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 01/14/2019 at 10:09

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My son would probably like that.

InFierority Complex > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 10:19

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Sorry, never had a gaming account hacked but Epic has this page on their Faq about account security

https://epicgames.helpshift.com/a/fortnite/?s=epic-accounts&f=account-security-bulletin&l=en

Sorry if this is a dumb question but where did you get their email? L ooks like you might be able to start a support ticket in t he top right

https://epicgames.helpshift.com/a/fortnite/

That list to verify your identity just seems way to o extreme to be taken seriously IMHO.

ttyymmnn > InFierority Complex 01/14/2019 at 10:30

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I think we started from the game itself, got a robot email message, answered a few simple questions, then got passed to what seems like a human. That help page you linked is different than the one we started on.

I might reply and say, “Before I give you all this distinctly personal information, how can I be sure that I am actually talking to Epic?”

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:16

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Holy smokes. I’m waiting for Fortnite to allow gifting of Vbucks or skins/emotes. Because of the parent/child account setup on the PS4, the way the wallet works, and the separate Epic accounts (I have one too, just for grins), I’ve got $25 stranded on my Fortnite account that I’ll never use...

Tried to get a refund, but both Sony and Epic said it was the other one’s issue. 

CB > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:18

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For reference: Epic Games just got a failing grade from the Better Business Bureau. I wouldn’t send any of that information. When my Rockstar account got hacked, I just explained the situation to Rockstar, and they were like “alright, cool, we’ll deal with this”.

ttyymmnn > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/14/2019 at 11:18

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What a mess. I’d like to go back to the good old days of inserting a CD or DVD and actually owning the game. This Internet-based model is a mess.

For Sweden > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:19

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Time to delete all computers

ttyymmnn > CB 01/14/2019 at 11:21

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Somebody in this thread gave me Kotaku links to articles about how f**ked up Epic is, both in security and CS. I get it, I might be trying to scam them. But send them a copy of my passport? That’s nuts.

ttyymmnn > For Sweden 01/14/2019 at 11:21

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But then how would I post all the airplainz ?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:21

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Are the lifetime returns really worth the hassle? Maybe j ust tell your son to wait a day to make sure he actually wants it before he buys anything.

EPIC made about $3 billion in 2018, fwiw. 

ttyymmnn > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/14/2019 at 11:22

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At this point, no. He wants to spend the free money he got. Perhaps I should just let it go and see if they get back to me. Again, though, my concern is that since I’ve started this they are going to label me a hacker since I didn’t give them what they asked for.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:24

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Smoke signals

CB > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:26

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Honestly, I’ve given less information to the federal government for security clearance.

I’d tell them to pound sand, maybe use this as a life lesson for your son that sometimes things don’t go as planned, and go and do something else with him. As someone who wasted a lot of my teenage years gaming, I regret a good amount of it.

MattHurting > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:27

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Fortnite is the ruination of all things. My kids play it and turn into little assholes. I hope the entire network gets hacked and goes tits up.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:28

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I gave less information for my actual passport. Something about this seems off. 

ttyymmnn > MattHurting 01/14/2019 at 11:29

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This. My 13-year-old talked to us at length about the game once, and he described what I can only call PTSD from playing it. He’s a bit young to be experiencing that. 

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:31

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Exactly. The WHOLE game! At least my kids aren’t into Skylanders or similar rackets anymore... They’re currently saving/scheming to get a Switch. 

WilliamsSW > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:31

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Ban Fortnite.

ttyymmnn > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 01/14/2019 at 11:32

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I wonder if it is really intimidation, and attempt to make me give up.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:32

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I also hate that there’s so few in-room multiplayer games anymore. You can play with your friends, but only if they’re miles away, sitting in front of their own television. 

ttyymmnn > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/14/2019 at 11:32

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Are you sure we don’t have the same kids?

For Sweden > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:33

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With a printing press

ttyymmnn > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/14/2019 at 11:33

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AND, Sony and MS have moved to a subscription model for PvP console games. So if my kids wanted to play with their crosstown friend on the PS4 we’d have to pay an annual fee. To hell with that noise.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:34

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So, they hacked his account and then, I assume, used a stolen credit card to add money to the account? 

ttyymmnn > WilliamsSW 01/14/2019 at 11:34

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I would not be against this.

ttyymmnn > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/14/2019 at 11:35

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sitting in front of their own television.

Having paid for their own console and their own copy of the game. Hell, we got a PS4 for Christmas and even the charging cables for the remotes are different. I had to buy more, but I didn’t buy them from Sony.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:35

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Well... They’re not hurting for players/money/influence so if you give up they don’t care and it doesn’t lose them any money really. So yes, it probably is intimidation. 

ttyymmnn > For Sweden 01/14/2019 at 11:36

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ttyymmnn > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/14/2019 at 11:36

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That I don’t know. I haven’t looked at their bank accounts yet.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:38

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Haha - “the Fortnite generation”. Seriously, though. 

TheRealBicycleBuck > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:39

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The helpshift e-mail is the correct one.

Be sure to update the associated e-mail address(es) with the account when you change the password. I would also change the password on my e-mail account or even create a new e-mail account just to be sure the hackers aren’t able to access the recovery e-mails sent by Epic.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/14/2019 at 11:41

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Yah! Bring back split screen

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:41

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We pay the PS Plus fee for online play. So obnoxious. At least you get a free game or two a month, but still.

Check out Tricky Towers and Overcooked ( like $4 each - lots of fun ).

HoustonRunner > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:42

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I give my wife credit for this one - my kids aren’t allowed to play Fortnite. She set the rule that you can’t play a game where you are rewarded for killing “innocent” people. Her explanation to kids - she is fine if you play cops and robbers, or even a war game with “good” and “bad” guys. But you can’t play something where you “kill” a “good” guy and get rewarded .

Yes, this is EXTREMELY subjective, because she is fine if they play Super Smash Brothers, but it is working so far (at least to keep Fortnite out of our house). And she made the rule, not me, so I get to say “talk to your mom about that....” (I fully support her on this one so we do have a unified front.)

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:44

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Yup. But Fortnite is “free” - ha!

They all know how to make money, I’ll give them that.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:45

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Didn’t see anyone answer this so: Authenticators (usually? ) run as apps on your phone. I use Google Authenticator and it works fine , but I am migrating to Auth y as you can actually migrate the authenticator to a new/ different device whereas with Google you cannot. More secure, I guess, but also a pain in the butt.  They are meant to be out-of-band one-time passwords and seem to make it very hard to breach an account.

WilliamsSW > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:45

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It’s either intimidation or you’re emailing with the hackers. Either way you lose.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/14/2019 at 11:46

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Goldeneye!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:48

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That’d be my guess. Hack account, steal credit card, build up with all kind of goodies and then sell Fortnite account for real money.

ttyymmnn > TheRealBicycleBuck 01/14/2019 at 11:53

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I have already reset the email account passwords. Right about the time we discovered the hack, I was unable to sign into his email. Not sure if it’s related, but it certainly could be. Called Spectrum, they didn’t see any strange activity. I’m considering switching them over to their gmail accounts. 

ttyymmnn > HoustonRunner 01/14/2019 at 11:55

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I feel the same way, but, as you know, it’s tough when all their friends are playing. I don’t like any game where you kill people. “Yeah! I got a kill!” is not something I like my teenagers saying.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/14/2019 at 11:55

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God, I'm old

ttyymmnn > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/14/2019 at 11:55

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That’s why pushers always give away the first hits for free.

ttyymmnn > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 01/14/2019 at 11:56

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Thanks. When they get home from school, we’ll set this up. I assume I’ll have to give Epic their phone number?

ttyymmnn > WilliamsSW 01/14/2019 at 11:57

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RealBicycleBuck confirmed that the email @ is legit. So I’m going for the intimidation angle. 

ttyymmnn > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/14/2019 at 11:57

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Their accounts are fine, just checked. Looks like they are more interested in selling accounts of people who have amassed lots of goodies.

Assholes.

HoustonRunner > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 11:58

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Agree completely on the peer pressure. Right now my boys (twins) are 8, so less than half of their friends get to play, mitigating the pressure.  When they get to middle school there will be something similar we have to deal with.

ttyymmnn > HoustonRunner 01/14/2019 at 12:01

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My guys are twins too, in 7th grade. They’ve got one friend they play with all the time. When that kid isn’t on, they won’t play the game. Then they just sit there and watch videos of other people playing Fortnite. We used to ban them from playing during the week, but gave up on that. I wish we hadn’t. We need to get back to strict time limits.

facw > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 12:04

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H mm, I don’t have any aviation woodcuts, but somewhere my parents have some cool Dutch aviation tiles:

facw > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 12:15

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Fortnite maker Epic Games earns ‘F’ rating from Better Business Bureau

In any event, you do want your game accounts to use 2FA , which runs on smart phones. There is normally a fallback using one time codes, or SMS (not as secure). There are also standalone devices like Google’s Titan or Yubikey , though I don’t know which services they work with. Any of those solutions is going to be much more secure than a password by itself, the big problem is that you can lock yourself out of accounts if you lost the second factor.

But yes turn it on for gaming services (Epic, Steam, Battle.net, Origin, UPlay, etc.), and for your email (Gmail offers it, and I assume most other web-based providers do as well at this point).

ttyymmnn > facw 01/14/2019 at 12:19

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Thanks.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 12:23

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No. There is a pairing code. When you set up a new authentictor essentially the devices exchange keys (once), you verify it works,  and then they’re bound. Google you actually just scan a QR code, which makes it really easy.  Totally transparent to Epic (as it should be).

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/14/2019 at 12:25

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Dave Grohl turned 50 today. 

ttyymmnn > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 01/14/2019 at 12:26

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Okay, so it’s idiot proof? I’m not an idiot, but I’m also not 21st century tech game savvy. 

xc90v8/I4 :( > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 12:38

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I kinda hope they don’t buy that because it s very easy for anyone to say..

Is money involved with the account? Or is it just lost progess?

I remember back when I was playing I bought some Call of Duty. Ordered it online and I got actual DVD s with the game on them. It had to be registred with a steam account to play online though.

My account was hacked too and I had to send in a picture of the game which included the key and a piece of paper with my username on it.

That doesn’t work anymore these days .. you could always register a phone number to get your account back easily but this d oesn’t protect you from ingame theft . And I’m always hesitant to do this because I don’t want to end up in some Database which is then sold to some telemarketing people.

ttyymmnn > xc90v8/I4 :( 01/14/2019 at 12:43

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I kinda hope they don’t buy that because its very easy for anyone to say..

I know. You just can’t trust anybody these days, and I don’t even trust Epic. There is no money involved, just a few skins and a couple of lifetime returns. My son is now cool with losing the skins, and the V Bucks in his account actually increased with the hack. So now he wants to spend them. I told him to wait until we resolved this, but I’m about ready to say screw it and drop it. If Epic lets me.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > ttyymmnn 01/14/2019 at 14:00

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Haha it is surprisingly simple and mostly straightforward .