FIFA 12 and 11 Content purchased via hijacked Xbox LIVE accounts
A large number of Xbox LIVE accounts seem to have been hijacked and then used to purchase downloadable content for EA (Electronic Arts) Sports titles, namely FIFA 11 and FIFA 12.
Initially thought to have affected just a few users on Microsoft’s online gaming and digital distribution service, Xbox LIVE, an increasing number of users seem to have reported issues with the LIVE accounts.
The reports all seem to have a common theme to them with each account apparently having purchased content for the previous two FIFA titles, without the original user’s prior knowledge or permission.
‘Unauthorised access’ here could mean hackers, though the Microsoft database has not been affected to anyone’s knowledge, that is unless Microsoft are not telling the gaming public something.
It may not be a compromise of Microsoft’s entire database, but the reports that accounts accounts have breached and used for the unauthorised purchases tell a story of their own.
For those who are not familiar with how Xbox LIVE and Xbox LIVE Marketplace works, users are required to enter a ‘form of payment’ if they wish to open a Xbox LIVE account, which is used for accessing online multiplayer and other features.
Unlike Sony’s PlayStation Network, which is free, Microsoft charge a subscription fee for their online features and entering form of payment details such as credit card or debit card information is compulsory.
Users who do this not only gain access to LIVE but also to Microsoft’s Marketplace, where they can use Microsoft Points (which are purchase with real money) to buy games, wallpapers, movies and, in this case, game specific downloadable content.
So Microsoft now has a group of users who have had their accounts broken into and their Microsoft Points spent on FIFA 12 and FIFA 11 content.
Microsoft have released a statement confirming the breach of accounts, but at the same time has assured the public that, as we mentioned earlier, that Xbox LIVE has not been compromised directly.
The statement read, “We do not have any evidence the Xbox LIVE service has been compromised. We take the security of our service seriously and work on an ongoing basis to improve against evolving threats.” Which is a good thing to know.
“However, a limited number of members have contacted us regarding unauthorized access to their accounts by outside individuals,” so that is official confirmation that the accounts have been tampered with and Microsoft were quick to explain they were working
on getting to the bottom of the issue when they said, “We are working with our impacted members directly to resolve any unauthorized changes to their accounts”.
So it seems that Microsoft have FIFA 12 fans on the top of their suspect list, however, the fact that the game sold 3.2-million units in its first week may make Microsoft’s task a bit of a challenge.
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