While Microsoft has done an excellent job of making the Xbox 360 Live system a safe and secure place for both young and old to enjoy and share video games, there are some dangers for you to be aware of. Don’t just assume that since your Xbox 360 resides in your house that your Xbox Live Gold account is safe. On the contrary, your account is still very much at risk, primarily from social engineering schemes.
Most of you reading this are probably thinking that this won’t happen to you, and that you’re too smart to be had by social engineering schemes, but think again. In scouring the internet, I come across many schemes, and some of them are not only quite professional, they are convincing users by the thousands. Remember, this is the digital age, and your guard should always be up.
Social engineering is simply using communication with the victim to steal personal and valuable data. This can be as simple as a junk email or even an actual letter, to tactics as sophisticated as actual web sites, phone calls, and personal contact through forums.
One example of a common scheme to steal your Xbox Live Gold account is set up by luring you to their site with the promise of free Xbox Live Marketplace Points. With the amount of DLC (Downloadable Content) out there, especially with so many songs available for games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, Xbox Live Marketplace Points are in high demand. After visiting these sites, you are asked for your Xbox Live Gamertag and your password. Once the thieves have this information, it’s over. They will possibly have access to your credit card information (at least they may have the ability to purchase items via the Xbox Live Marketplace), as well as other personal information. They will first change the email address associated with the account, as well as your Gamertag and delete your friends list. This is a quick way to make it hard to locate your account. When you call 1-800-4-MY-XBOX (Microsoft’s Xbox Live support number), it could take hours for them to even loc ate your account, and even longer to fix the situation with them. Next, you would have to call your credit card company and go through a similar process again.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Xbox Live is pure genius, and one of the best things to happen to the living room since the home video game console, I just want everyone to be aware of the risks that might be overlooked. Too many people don’t consider the possible consequences of being irresponsible with their Xbox Live Gold account. Remember, skepticism and knowledge are your best weapons against social engineering. Remember: when in doubt, check it out. If you have any doubts, do some research on the website that you are in contact with, and NEVER give out your passwords.