So is there any alternative ways to find out a forgotten password besides the disabled password reset and the ticket to support? If so, I'd like to hear it.

Also, on topic, this topic gave me anxiety last night and I probably shouldn't have overreacted as badly as I did.

Just received tons of "Password reset" confirmation emails in my mail that I didn't initiate.

I contacted their support site before launch because of a multiple-billing issue upon purchase (was handled fine), my password for GW2 is unique for that game (and randomly generated). The mail mentions no changes are made to your account, but this does make me a bit jumpy.

Never had problems in any other game before.

Originally posted by Fdzzaigl

Just received tons of "Password reset" confirmation emails in my mail that I didn't initiate.

I contacted their support site before launch because of a multiple-billing issue upon purchase (was handled fine), my password for GW2 is unique for that game (and randomly generated). The mail mentions no changes are made to your account, but this does make me a bit jumpy.

Never had problems in any other game before.

I recommend you to change the account name, better safe than sorry.

I however think it is more likely that there is a keylogging worm than ANETs servers being hacked.

Edit: and run a safety scan as well. http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ It is free and wont hurt.

Originally posted by Loke666

Originally posted by Fdzzaigl

Just received tons of "Password reset" confirmation emails in my mail that I didn't initiate.

I contacted their support site before launch because of a multiple-billing issue upon purchase (was handled fine), my password for GW2 is unique for that game (and randomly generated). The mail mentions no changes are made to your account, but this does make me a bit jumpy.

Never had problems in any other game before.

I recommend you to change the account name, better safe than sorry.

I however think it is more likely that there is a keylogging worm than ANETs servers being hacked.

Edit: and run a safety scan as well. http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ It is free and wont hurt.

Yeah, changed immediately.

I run scans regularly, could be that I'm still hacked, but I don't think yet another antivirus is gonna do anything but slow my comp down more :p

Originally posted by Fdzzaigl

Originally posted by Loke666

Originally posted by Fdzzaigl

Just received tons of "Password reset" confirmation emails in my mail that I didn't initiate.

I contacted their support site before launch because of a multiple-billing issue upon purchase (was handled fine), my password for GW2 is unique for that game (and randomly generated). The mail mentions no changes are made to your account, but this does make me a bit jumpy.

Never had problems in any other game before.

I recommend you to change the account name, better safe than sorry.

I however think it is more likely that there is a keylogging worm than ANETs servers being hacked.

Edit: and run a safety scan as well. http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ It is free and wont hurt.

Yeah, changed immediately.

I run scans regularly, could be that I'm still hacked, but I don't think yet another antivirus is gonna do anything but slow my comp down more :p

But was your original account name unique or have you used it elsewhere? 

Honestly I don't think it is either Anet getting hacked or malware on the user pc. I think it is much simpler. The people trying to obtain accounts probably have a huge master file with various logins and passwords obtained by hacking various gaming sites and other MMOs in the past. This file is being used to probe for GW2 accounts and if they get a hit they try passwords.

These people can not change your info unless they have both login and password.

around launch day i got 10+ emails about "reset your password" in an email account not related to GW2..... so i dont know what to say about that.

I havent received any of those scam mails on my gw2 email and that one is not related to gw1 account or any other ncsoft published game.

I don't know if this happened to anyone else, but I received any email about my GW2 password being reset. The only problem is that I don't have a GW2 account nor own the game. Kind of weird.

I haven't played any MMOs in over a year, just kind of biding time waiting for something good to come out. This is what brings me to these forums from time to time.

[quote]

Honestly I don't think it is either Anet getting hacked or malware on the user pc. I think it is much simpler. The people trying to obtain accounts probably have a huge master file with various logins and passwords obtained by hacking various gaming sites and other MMOs in the past. This file is being used to probe for GW2 accounts and if they get a hit they try passwords.

These people can not change your info unless they have both login and password.

[/quote]

Given my experience, I consider this to be a strong possiblity.

Originally posted by Connmacart

 

But was your original account name unique or have you used it elsewhere? 

Honestly I don't think it is either Anet getting hacked or malware on the user pc. I think it is much simpler. The people trying to obtain accounts probably have a huge master file with various logins and passwords obtained by hacking various gaming sites and other MMOs in the past. This file is being used to probe for GW2 accounts and if they get a hit they try passwords.

These people can not change your info unless they have both login and password.

Original email wasn't unique (current one is). They're probably blasting the site with all possible emails.

Someone on the reddit thread mentioned that the GW2 site confirms an email has been sent when you try to reset the password, that is indeed a problem, they know who is playing the game and who is not after putting in the emails.

Originally posted by Comaf

Sometimes, when I think about how major corporations (think Apple and Samsung, for example) engage in corporate espionage, I come to wonder if video game companies are any different?  This year it was reported that the Iranian nuclear program was slowed a tad by a virus that was delivered aggressively from another country (I'm guessing that was us).

 

So I wonder if say, Blizzard, might have had some fun with A-Net's servers.  Just a thought ;p)

Never ends...

Originally posted by zephyrs

I don't know if this happened to anyone else, but I received any email about my GW2 password being reset. The only problem is that I don't have a GW2 account nor own the game. Kind of weird.

 

I haven't played any MMOs in over a year, just kind of biding time waiting for something good to come out. This is what brings me to these forums from time to time.

 

[quote]

Honestly I don't think it is either Anet getting hacked or malware on the user pc. I think it is much simpler. The people trying to obtain accounts probably have a huge master file with various logins and passwords obtained by hacking various gaming sites and other MMOs in the past. This file is being used to probe for GW2 accounts and if they get a hit they try passwords.

These people can not change your info unless they have both login and password.

[/quote]

 

Given my experience, I consider this to be a strong possiblity.

im hoping this is the case.

Originally posted by Comaf

Sometimes, when I think about how major corporations (think Apple and Samsung, for example) engage in corporate espionage, I come to wonder if video game companies are any different?  This year it was reported that the Iranian nuclear program was slowed a tad by a virus that was delivered aggressively from another country (I'm guessing that was us).

 

So I wonder if say, Blizzard, might have had some fun with A-Net's servers.  Just a thought ;p)

No, just no.

I think that you mostly just made out a silly joke. At least thats what I hope, and when I see your smiley I see some confirmation in it.

I saw on apge 6 many quoted this and dissed GW2 fanboys. But honestly I just think this is a joke.

I played WoW for 6 years with breaks. Was in vanilla, left when I could release my body from the crap they have changed the game into.

Blizzard would never make such an attempt. if they got caught, it would damage their name even more than Diablo 3 did.

And they dont need to hack anything. They got zealots.

Originally posted by gigat

Originally posted by Satarious

Originally posted by heartless
...snip...

I've pretty much ruled out trojans, keyloggers, etc. in my case since I update and run SuperAntiSpyware religiously (every day) on my machine and have MS Security Essentials for the AV.  Plus, I make it a point to never click on links in email.  I always go directly to my account url any time I get an email making me aware of something to do with my account.  I've been doing this since the dawn of the World Wide Web and it has served me well.  That's why I have my doubts that it has anything to do with me.  

SUPERAntiSpyware is terrible software (some of the worst in the industry).  If you stake your PC security on SUPERAntiSpyware, and claim that you are secure because of it, then you really need to take a step back and reconsider your situation.

Here's the PCMag.com review of SUPERAntiSpyware: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2392919,00.asp

(It received a dismal rating)

 

Microsoft Security Essentials...  If I wasn't willing to spend money on security software, I might use Microsoft Security Essentials.  However, PC security is important enough -- to me -- to spend the extra dough on quality software.

PCMag.com review of MSE: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2403986,00.asp

 

If you really don't want to spend any money, then go with AVG Anti-Virus Free 2012: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2391931,00.asp

 

If you are willing to spend money on good software...

... for full security suites, read this article: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2369749,00.asp

... for basic protection: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2372364,00.asp

 

 

This was a great read.  Thanks much for linking it!

Dunno ;x I can only comment on my situation. My best friend who has been playing with me lost his account to hackers. He uses the same email/password for the majority of things, including his GW1 account. I on the other hand, do not, and have my games neatly organized in their own emails with their own passwords. I don't do this for security at all, I'm just THAT anal about keeping things organized. I'm a little OCD about being able to find exactly what I need, when I need it, and that keeps emails from the game and the company of the game going to specific places.

Anyway, I got no email/password reset reminders and my account has been perfectly fine. I have been hacked once, however, and that one  time is why I wouldn't completely rule out everyone else's issues just because I haven't experienced them myself. It was with Nexon's games, when their servers were hacked and they took months to admit it. By then I logged into games I hadn't played in a while (but had meant to go back to, when updated, i.e., Vindictus when they finally got Kai) only to find all my stuff was gone. Sometimes, no matter what efforts you or the company makes, shit happens. The most you can do is hope they make good on getting your stuff back to you. My friend got his GW2 account back in 2 days. Still waiting for Nexon to respond to me 8 months later.

Originally posted by Satarious
 I logged in literally ONE day and haven't logged in since because of my busy schedule.  If my account/password were somehow farmed from a "keylogger", you'd think my account would have been hacked a long time ago (like during the prelaunch days).

Wrong, pretty much.

Not all logged account information is put immediately to use. With some of the more organized gold-farming types its not too surprising to see them hold onto the information for a while, building up a large list before going in and using it. They could have password and username information from a couple months back, just sitting on it til the group goes in and start doing what they do.

Also, while I have seen some gold-farming types pop up in the betas of games before, those were all F2P titles. Unlike say... any commercially released MMO, those games don't have a wipe between beta to launch. No hacking/goldfarming-steals really occured in the months leading to GW2's release because frankly it would be a waste. No one was going to pay for any illicit gold, so none could be sold (or too little would be sold to justify it at the time).

Originally posted by Nefera
Some additional info here: three accounts have been suspended, each account owner was changing their account email address thousands of times in an effort to scan which emails were already in use with GW2. That would be why some people who do not own the game are getting emails, their addresses are on a list that was being scanned for GW2 accounts. Source: sept. 2 state of the game update, wiki.guildwars2.com.

That's one way they can get emails even if they're not used elsewhere, bots or compromised accounts that change accounts a LOT using dictionary attacks to find working emails. They just use random string of words with common email domains (@gmail.com and the like), whichever gives them an "email already in use" error is written down as a valid email, even if it's not used elsewhere.

Another way (and I believe is why the password reset system is down right now) is to make multiple password reset requests, again using random email address. If it gives a "this email is not on our system", it's discarded, if it gives a "password reset email was sent", then it's written down. They don't even need to be from the same IP, remember that there are people that can control hundreds of thousands, or maybe even millions, of compromised computers that can be used for that.

One theory of how accounts are hijacked involved repeatedly requesting password resets (which is why some people kept getting so many of them) to keep the password reset active, then using random strings of numbers and letters in the password reset URL to try to find one that works, and change its password.