Heads up: More Xbox Live scamsters on the loose

Thu Aug 7, 2008 10:17AM EDT

See Comments (6)

The latest: An offer for 1,600 free Microsoft points! Just plug your Xbox Live info into a site you've never heard of! Hurry!!

Yep, sounds too good to be true, and indeed it is. 1UP.com reports that these free MS points" phishing scams have been making the Xbox Live rounds lately, and they go something like this: You get a message in your Live mailbox from a buddy, along the lines of ...

M2AF everybody go to loginxbox.tk I just got 1600 MS points Hurry though!! I think it is a limited time offer


Of course, if you go to the site ("loginxbox.tk" is long gone, but I'm sure others will pop up in its place) and log in with your Live information, you won't get any MS points; you will, however, spam everyone on your Xbox Live friends list with the same phishing message, and you'll have compromised your account info in the bargain.

The bloggers at Xbox 360 Fanboy has been tracking similar scams as early as May, and they've got a series of tips for avoiding phishing schemes like this one, including:

  1. Beware of free MS point offers that don't link directly back to a Microsoft site;
  2. Never, ever plug your Passport credentials into a non-sanctioned Xbox site;
  3. Don't give your Live login into to anyone (and remember that Microsoft reps will never ask for your password);
  4. And, of course, don’t give out your credit card number, mailing address, etc.

Anyone else get a phishing message in their Live inbox? 

Related:
Beware of Xbox Live Phishing Scam [1UP.com, via Kotaku]

 

Comments on Heads up: More Xbox Live scamsters on the loose

Post a Comment

Join in the discussion. Here you'll see the comments in the order they were posted.

  • 3 Posted by doreenrobinson on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:47PM EDT Report Abuse

    I think someone is using my address to send people in my address book links like this. How do I stop them?

  • 5 Posted by alonzoharvey@rocketmail.com on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:51PM EDT Report Abuse

    There is another site just like that. One of my buds was about to join until he did research and found out it was fake.

More Posts: First Prev 1 2 Next Last

Post a Comment


My Tech

Please enable your browser's cookies to activate the My Tech column.

Also on Yahoo! Tech

Computers Home Office Wi-Fi & Networking Phones & PDAs Cameras & Camcorders TV & Home Theater Portable Audio
 

Question and Answer content at Yahoo! Tech is written by Yahoo! users at Yahoo! Answers. Yahoo! does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any Yahoo! Answers content. For more information, read the Full Disclaimer.

Opinions expressed by the Advisors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Yahoo! Inc. Yahoo! receives no compensation from any manufacturer or distributor nor does it compensate any Advisor for the coverage of any product or service in any Advisor's content.