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Medison promises money back if it can't deliver... in three months
That $150 Medison Celebrity we glanced a few days back seemed to smell a bit fishy from the get-go, and a recent press release from the firm does a fairly terrible job of assuring us all otherwise. Typically, one's in dire straits if it has to address mass concerns of scamming, and Medison is now blaming the unexpectedly large amount of orders and "tremendous" amount of website hits and support calls for an apparent "shift in the time frame" in which customers will receive their orders. Granted, the company still promises that it will deliver, and now claims that your money will be returned if your machine isn't received in three months. Ah well, it's not like you had better things to do with your cash than let someone else earn interest on it while you fret over ever seeing it (or a laptop in its place) ever again, right?[Thanks, Valdi I.]
Beware of video scams
I'm sure you've read before about watching out for all sorts of scams -- after all, your World of Warcraft account information is valuable stuff, and plenty of thieves out there would be happy to get their hands on it. The latest technique of account theft that I've noticed is all over YouTube, in many videos offering to teach you how to hack World of Warcraft accounts for fun and profit. All of these videos suggest that Blizzard has some sort of account retrieval service that can be accessed by e-mailing a random address (often at Gmail or Hotmail) with your account name and password as well as the name of the account you wish to access. Then, the videos claim, all you have to do is wait for Blizzard to mail you the password of the target account!Of course, the entire thing is a scam. The people posting these videos just want to take your password and run. So be warned, everyone -- don't fall pray to greed, and don't give your password out to anyone, regardless of what they might promise you in return.
Avoiding gold-selling scams
Tobold has an interesting post up on getting scammed by businesses claiming to sell in-game gold or items. While, yes, it's easy enough for them to take your money and hand you some in-game cash, it's easier still for them to take your money and then not bother doing anything else. (And try to explain that to your credit card company when you dispute the charges...) And once you've lost real money to such a scammer, what's your next recourse? Well, a lot of people will call customer service and complain -- Sony cited frequent customer service calls as one of the reasons they legitimized the trading business with their Station Exchange. But Blizzard's not going to be able to do anything but snicker when you call and complain that a gold-seller took your money and ran, so, really, buying gold could just leave you with a hole in your real and virtual pocket. The only way to be 100% sure you get what you pay for is obvious: don't buy gold in the first place.
Beware of scam e-mails!
I've heard of plenty of reports of scammers trying to get your account information with e-mails claiming to be from Blizzard, but after having one land in my Around Azeroth mailbox, I thought I'd share it with you. And while we're at it, we can talk about how you can tell that an e-mail came from Blizzard or not.First off -- this didn't come to my primary e-mail address. Blizzard doesn't know me as "aroundazeroth@gmail.com" so any mail going there has to be bogus. And secondly, it's coming from Blizzard Europe, while I don't have a European account. However, if this had landed in my primary mailbox, and substituted US contact information for EU contact information, I'd have to take it seriously -- after all, it appears to have been sent from blizzard.com and it sounds awfully ominous. They suspect me of trying to sell my account and they're going to suspend it unless I verify it! Yikes!However, here's the big catch: after going through all of their ominous threats, they tell me to give them my account name and password. Nope, sorry. A Blizzard representative will never ask for your account name and password -- so don't give it out to anyone claiming to be with Blizzard, because that's all the information they need to take over your account. And if you get a mail like this that you're just not sure about -- don't give them any information, but confirm its authenticity with Blizzard, first. Get in touch with their billing support team by phone or e-mail!For those of you curious as to what one of these scams looks like, the full text of the e-mail is after the jump.
Beware the game funding credit trap
As game journalists, we here at Joystiq get a lot of press releases. As Americans over the age of 18, we get a lot of credit card offers disguised as once-in-a-lifetime deals. Rarely do we get both at the same time.Enter PeachDirect, a direct marketer that today issued a press release pimping out the PS3 for the relatively affordable price of $20 per month. "This is the machine that everyone wants, and for such a low monthly price, it has never been so affordable," says PeachDirect Executive VP Gary Bale.So affordable? Not really. First of all, PeachDirect inflates the price of the 60 GB model to $649, and that's before the $49 shipping charge. So, already, you're $99 in the hole compared to going to your local game shop. A small price to pay for such a flexible payment structure, right? Not really. That generous $20/month plan comes with 22.98 percent APR strings attached, meaning it would take 55 months and over $466 in interest to pay off that PS3 at the minimum monthly rate.We don't mean to pick on the PS3 here -- PeachDirect also offers the Xbox 360 and PSP at similarly "affordable" rates. The point is, no game system is worth going into debt over. Best to save up that $20 a month and endure the wait with a clean conscience and credit rating.
eBay scammers target iPhone fans
People, people, people. The phone's not shipping yet. It's not out yet. It's not even approved by the FCC! So why -- why on earth -- would anyone with the slightest degree of common sense bid almost one thousand dollars on eBay just for the privilege of getting ripped off? Wow. Three auctions for iPhones from the same single seller... shame on you, rgonzales23455; no wonder you've got no feedback. "Please note: I have 6 of these phones available for immediate shipping.. I accept Paypal only for this auction.. Free shipping via USPS Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation.. Will ship immediately after payment clears Monday - Friday." Uh-huh, sure you will. These auctions close soon, folks, get your bids in now -- NOT.Thanks to reader David Miller, who took time off from his Mac mini car integration project to give us the heads-up on the sad state of iPhone auctions over eBay way. As the expression goes here in Brooklyn: "Oy."Update 9am EDT: The original auction has closed, with a winning bid of $1125... *sigh*.
Instance griefing not against the ToS?
Unless you've experienced it first hand, you may not realize what the term "instance griefing" refers to. In this particular case, it refers to any player or players who are maliciously stealing your guild's raid IDs in order to grief you during raid time. (For non raiders in the audience, high-end raid dungeons have specific reset timers on them, preventing you from constantly farming the dungeon. At some point after zoning into a dungeon -- usually after a boss kill -- you're "saved" to the specific instance and assigned an instance ID that is the same for you and all of your group. Anyone saved with that specific ID will zone into your instance rather than a fresh instance -- at least until the dungeon resets.) Poster Trindade offers some advice on how random players might wind up getting your Karazhan instance ID:Bob is a member of your raid and has your instance ID. Jim is a scumbag griefer in shattrath wanting to steal your ID. Ted is a scumbag griefer outside Karazhan waiting to steal your ID. Jim is in a group with Ted. They have made their group a raid. Jim whispers Bob "Hey Bob, wanna run Shattered Halls?" Bob whispers Jim "sure". Jim invites Bob to join his group. Bob joins the raid group. Bob is now the group leader. Ted enters Karazhan. So what happens next? Read on for the whole story.
The Argent Dawn does not love you
Specifically, the Argent Dawn does not love you enough to send you a gift-wrapped item via in-game mail. This is an old scam, where an enterprising scumbag will roll a character named "Argentdwn" or something, gift-wrap any old arbitrary item (water, say), and send it via Cash on Delivery to anyone whose name they can get their hands on. Apparently this con has come back in a big way right now (though I haven't seen it on Shadow Council-A), so be on the look-out for it. You should probably not accept any CoD wrapped items, since you never know what's in them; and the Argent Dawn is certainly not going to be sending you any. Just delete the mails, but be sure to report the offending character's name via GM ticket (I write them up for verbal harassment); this'll get these things shut down faster.Fortunately, it looks like we won't have to watch out for this too much longer. Tseric says: Coming soon in a patch near you, we will be disabling the ability to send wrapped packages by C.O.D., which should stem this particular trend we've been seeing lately. This is good news; I can't think of any legit reason why someone would want to CoD a wrapped item, since the only reason I can think of to use wrapping in the first place is if you're giving a gift.Have you had any experiences with this or other scams? What should we be on guard for?
Dell facing investor lawsuit over shady Intel kickbacks
Ah, Michael, look what a fine mess you've got us into this time. Sure, Dell's not the first company to get smacked with a bit of sharp interrogation regarding shady accounting practices, and it's definitely not the first to have allegedly collaborated with another outfit to benefit the group, but the Texas powerhouse is facing a lawsuit that accuses it of illegally accepted quite a bit of coinage it didn't (legally) deserve. The class-action suit claims that the firm "artificially inflated profits by secretly receiving approximately $250 million a quarter in likely illegal rebate kickbacks payments from Intel in return for an exclusive deal to purchase Intel's microprocessors," which in a nutshell, doesn't bode well for either company if proven accurate. Of course, Dell's frolicking in the fields with AMD these days too, but the plaintiffs also contend that the corporation participated in a "widespread, long-running scheme to defraud shareholders and inflate Dell's stock price." As expected, nobody on the receiving end of this is taking any time to comment, and even though Rollins recently took the easy way out of his high falutin' position, himself -- along with Dell's accounting partner PricewaterhouseCoopers -- aren't out of this hot water just yet.[Via Slashdot]
PayPal to offer security key fobs for additional account protection
For every stupendous scam that crafty / immoral individuals pull off on eBay, there's at least a couple phishing scams out there trying to jack your precious eBay or PayPal password and access your hard-earned dollars. PayPal is readying a VeriSign security key that will resemble the RSA SecureID we corporate workers are all too familiar with with, and will sport a monochrome LCD screen that rotates a six-digit password every 30 seconds. Clients who opt to use this device will be able to enter it along with their usual username / password credentials when logging in, which would prevent scammers from accessing their account without the key fob in hand. The firm has been testing the device with employees for "several months," and plans to start trialing it with customers "within a month or so." Personal account owners in America, Germany, and Australia will eventually have the option of picking one up for a one-time fee of $5, while business accounts will receive the unit gratis, but if you're not savvy enough to pass on by those tempting scams, five bucks could be a small price to pay to keep your cash out of strangers' hands.[Via jkOnTheRun]
eBay PS3 scam of the day: Hot_PS3s@hotmail.com sold for $890
Another day another eBay PS3 scam. Look, we know the supply of PlayStation 3s are limited and demand is high before the big, 4-day break. But folks please, a little caveat emptor... this is eBay for crissake. Oh sure, Schnezy's listing is dubious as hell: titled, "Sony PlayStation 3 PS3 NO RESERVE, HOT HOT HOT" and even supported by a picture of the console itself. And seeing all the features and specs spat out on the page certainly clutters the one, very important bit of text at the very bottom: "note: you are not bidding on an actual ps3, you're only bidding on an e-mail address (Hot_PS3s@hotmail.com), winning bidder will recieve password." But hey, you've gotta read the text son. So enjoy your new Hotmail email address Mr. Notoriousgoat(se?) -- it may be an $890 markup from free, but it's still cheaper than an email address for millionaires in the long run. Tip: enable spam filter.
PS1 + PS2 = PS3 eBay scam FTW
Forget all those "PlayStation 3 box" or "PlayStations, 3 of them" scam artists, this "PS1 + PS2 = PS3" guy is the real deal, bringing true innovation to the realm of scamming hapless PS3 wannabes. Unfortunately, this PS3 system, held together by the mightiest of adhesives, might be a little too ahead of its time, since so far the auction is at a paltry C$152.50 (about $1.40 in real money). Oh well, there's always the next next-gen hysteria, right?[Via Digg]
Real crimes in virtual worlds
Is it a crime to bilk people out of money in a ponzi scheme? Sure. Is it also a crime to bilk people out of 700 billion ISK of virtual cash using a similar scheme in massively multiplayer game EVE Online? That's the question discussed in a recent article on Gamers With Jobs.The scheme, which uses money from new investors to pay off initial backers before cutting and running, is pretty apparently against EVE's terms of service, which prohibits "obtaining goods from other players through misinformation, confusion, pressure or by taking advantage of basic trust." But the author at GWJ argues that the virtual money can be converted to real game-time cards with a value of $81,667, making the crime a very real one. What's more, the ill-gotten gains could be converted into cash through unofficial channels, and might well be taxable by the IRS.It may be hard to think that in-game money can be subject to real-world laws, but when people can make their living trading in virtual goods, the wall between real and virtual laws begins to break down. Should financial doings inside MMOs be regulated by the government, or should the feds stay out of the virtual realm?
Get revenge on a 360 Ebay scammer: Call his mom
Moms really do know best. They also get results. Here's a satisfying tale from a guy who bought a used 360 on Ebay for $315 and got burned. He does a little detective work and tracks the non-shipping seller down to some town in Ohio, then calls him up only to get the phone slammed in his face. So who does he call next? The cops? Nah, he dials the dude's Mom and rats him out. Minutes later he has a refund, an apology and the pleasure of posting the most humiliating Ebay feedback ever. As reader Jamaicanbwoydre notes: Vigilante justice rules -- especially when Mom is playing the Charles Bronson role.
M-M-M-MacBook Pro eBay scam
If you remember the P-P-P-Powerbook scam last year, then you're going to love the new and improved M-M-M-Macbook scam. Once again, a Something Awful forum dweller by the name of isnoop has documented quite the adventure involving a MacBook Pro sale on eBay, and the intrepid scammer who didn't quite get what he ordered. Check out the first post in the forum for links to the key events of the scam, and marvel at this wonderful entertainment the internets make available.[thanks C Keigher!]
Watch out: Xero merges, now a publicly traded company
Well wouldn't you know it, the same people behind Gizmondo who're now behind Xero Mobile (those that aren't in jail, anyway) have found a way to bypass an IPO in getting Xero as a publicly traded company. Basically they merged with Desi TV, a publicly traded company (that couldn't dig up even a little info on), swapped the ticker symbol to XRMB, and started trading on the Over-The-Counter Bulletin Board securities market. Oh, did we mention the first thing they did with their stock was split it 25-to-1? 25 to freaking 1, man! Peter Lilley, CEO of Xero Mobile (and former head of Gizmondo's Smart Adds division) seemed pretty stoked about "implementing [their] ground-breaking business plan." Uh, would that be the same business plan that sunk his former game company and lost a half a billion dollars? Right, dude. Investors beware; remember those who learned a hard lesson about that fateful UK-based game company that seemed eager to cash in on VCs and work a pump n' dump stock scam on all y'all.
New Password Scams
Apparently there's a new set of password scams going around. These e-mails, apparently from security@blizzard.com, will request your account and password information. Community manager Drysc reminds us that Blizzard will never send ask for your account password via e-mail, and any messages you may receive requesting passwords information, no matter how legitimate looking, is most likely a scam to steal your account. If you've gotten an e-mail that looks suspicious, you can write billing@blizzard.com to confirm its validity. Additional information about scams and account security can be found on Blizzard's support page, as well.
Blizzard Warns of Password Scams
Tseric has made a post in the general forums advising players to be wary of e-mails requesting their account information. So if you get an e-mail asking you for personal information in exchange for a Warcraft rebate, remember that Blizzard employees will never ask you for your password. And if in doubt, you can always contact Blizzard support to confirm.
