Special Task Force Report

From PlayOnline.com:

Today's report will outline our actions conducted from January 25, 2008 to February 20, 2008 in dealing with players violating the user agreement, as well as details on the activities, results, and goals of the Special Task Force.

Special Task Force activities and future plans

Most of the characters engaged in RMT (*1) were continuously reappearing after their accounts had been banned. In order to deal with this, we began to shorten the intervals between bannings. As visible in the below graph, as a result of this, there were more accounts banned in December 2007 than in any previous month.
The Special Task Force is continuing to ban players violating the user agreement with the overall goal of eliminating all accounts involved in RMT.


The following tally details the condition of problems between January 25, 2008 and February 20, 2008. Each of these issues is discussed individually in the following section.

- Illegal fishing
One of the reasons the number of accounts banned in December 2007 drastically increased was due to the strengthening of activities against illegal fishing. By shortening the intervals between bannings and increasing the amount of accounts banned each time, a total of 1,850 accounts were banned within the span of a month.

- Hunters (*2)
The Special Task Force uses the information provided by reports submitted by FINAL FANTASY XI players in investigating and banning characters involved in RMT.
As a result, we currently receive almost no reports regarding hunters targeting Notorious Monsters. On the other hand, the number of reports regarding lower-level suspicious characters continuously fighting regular monsters has considerably increased.
We track the items and gil obtained through these battles to their destination and, if RMT ties can be confirmed, we ban the corresponding account.

- Use of synthesis and auction houses for RMT (*3)
After the last banning, the number of reward items for certain quests being sold at auction houses considerably decreased. The reason for this is due to the Special Task Force targeting characters involved in using auction houses for RMT, along with characters using unauthorized software to beat certain quests. All accounts associated with these characters were banned. We are currently continuing these investigations and bannings.

- Use of tools that allow enhanced character movement (*4)
After "Wings of the Goddess" was released, characters using unauthorized methods to beat new quests appeared. Because of this, the Special Task Force began to continually ban characters over short periods of time. This is the other reason why the number of characters banned in December 2007 drastically increased.
Up until now, we've been using basic methods such as investigating character logs and confirming violations of the user agreement in the banning of accounts, but we are currently preparing to introduce effective countermeasures into the game itself. If these countermeasures are introduced into the game, the number of characters involved in enhanced character movement will significantly decrease.

*1. RMT
"Real Money Trading." Selling game data for real money.

*2. Hunters
Characters who kill Notorious Monsters, clear quests, and obtain items over and over again with the sole purpose of gathering gil, which is then handed off to RMT groups.

*3. Use of synthesis and auction houses for RMT
Actions involving selling large quantities of in-game items for gil, which is then traded for real money.

*4: The use of unauthorized software to modify a character's movements.

Matters of concern within the community

In the following section, we will be explaining the Special Task Force's direction and plans in dealing with matters of concern within the community.

- The number of characters fishing with machine-like movements hasn't decreased at all.
Illegal fishing makes up about half of the reports submitted by FINAL FANTASY XI players. The main areas showing up in the reports are Buburimu Peninsula, Sea Serpent Grotto, and the ferry that goes back and forth between Mhaura and Selbina.
The accounts in question are banned over a short period of time and soon afterwards, roughly the same number of new characters reemerges to continue the same actions as before.
Currently the Special Task Force is looking into introducing systematic countermeasures to break this cycle.

- It seems that in the recent banning, the majority of RMT gil buyers were banned, but does the Special Task Force change the displayed number of accounts banned from month to month instead of displaying the actual number?
Not only gil buyers, but all users violating the user agreement are given penalties immediately after the investigation of their account has concluded
However, even if a certain number of penalties are imposed each month on violators of the user agreement, as long as the total penalties do not exceed a set line, their accounts will not be banned. Therefore, a significant difference can be seen between individual accounts. Because of this, the number of accounts banned may drastically change from month to month, but the Special Task Force will never intentionally alter the actual numbers.

Warning about unauthorized access

As has been mentioned in previous Special Task Force reports, problems regarding third party access to players' account information have become more and more common. Even if ones account is compromised only once, all of that player's characters could be deleted and all gil and items lost.
Viewing suspicious web sites linked on gaming websites or blogs, as well as downloading files from these sites, is believed to be the main cause of this unauthorized access. A player's computer becomes infected with a Trojan horse or keylogger and before he realizes it, his PlayOnline ID and password have been stolen.
We are currently working on a method to restore edited account details and lost items, but there are a few preventative measures to help protect ones account. The following are a few such countermeasures that Windows users can use to protect against unauthorized access.

- Do not access websites with unknown or suspicious content.
- Do not download software from unknown or suspicious websites.
- Periodically perform Windows Updates and keep Windows updated to the latest version.
*Refer to Microsoft's official website for more detailed information.
- Periodically update your web browser to the latest version.
- Do not use external tools not approved by Square Enix under any circumstances.
- Always use the latest antivirus software and Internet security software.

In order to protect your data, please use the countermeasures listed above along with diligent management of your PlayOnline account.
We would also like to remind everyone that Square Enix will never reveal PlayOnline account details to third parties.

Reporting to the Special Task Force

The Special Task Force relies on everyone's information regarding violations of the user agreement to help keep FINAL FANTASY XI an enjoyable environment, and we appreciate your continuing support and cooperation.

Report to Special Task Force

Comments

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Meh who knows anymore...
# Mar 12 2008 at 3:38 PM Rating: Decent
Can anybody clarify this statement or talk about it in a singular tense? It's from the STF's latest report on Feb 20th, 2008.

"However, even if a certain number of penalties are imposed each month on violators of the user agreement, as long as the total penalties do not exceed a set line, their accounts will not be banned. Therefore, a significant difference can be seen between individual accounts."

Does this basically mean that a player does not get banned for committing 1 act alone, but many acts over a period of time? Or are the penalties dependent upon the severity of the act? or both perhaps?

Also, just a hypothetical question: what would the STF or compromised account investigation team do if someone reported RMT activity on an account that has already been deemed compromised and has already been temporarily banned/frozen? lol.

Also, it's obvious to me that close to all of the accounts being sold, are by the original registrant. Or at least the original registrant authorized the sale at one time, and the accounts are now being re-sold -.- sorry to you guys who have lost accounts due to hacking, or w/e, but a lot of the so called "righteous" gamers are RMT themselves. They are exploiting SEs newest policy with regard to compromised accounts, by selling their accounts and then using the system to re-gain control, after they've sold it. I suppose it's pretty clever really, but I wonder if SE took this into account when they made the policy change.
Worthless
# Mar 12 2008 at 3:00 PM Rating: Decent
Sorry. Double post.

Edited, Mar 12th 2008 5:01pm by GetrealII
good job
# Feb 24 2008 at 7:12 AM Rating: Decent
When we are unsatisified about how things are, lets all remember the Christmas of 05 when prices were so ridiculous ppl couldnt afford to do anything in game. Lets look at how the game is today in comparison to then, now everyone has a chance to do the things in game they want.
RMT, to me, isnt a significant problem as in the past. I see being in an HNM ppl still using botting tools to claim Nid, Aspid, Behemoth etc. When is this going to be seriously addressed? The same ppl have been using these tools for years now with no penalty.
Players are contantly complaining about the same individuals using these tools and we all know who the serious botters are especially when you are around the HNM scene for a long time. SE has done a nice job in curving the RMT situation but has seriously lacked in this area. Hold long time players accoutable for using these tools, do it a few times and ppl will wake up
research
# Feb 21 2008 at 2:43 AM Rating: Good
Perhaps SE can get their billing partner to help identify who the hell keeps making new accounts. Then probably determine what legal options they have and ban the accounts with that credit card; plus send a "suggest do no business with person" letter all known bank and credit industries. Or SE could work with law enforcement, and have some type of law put into force where SE could legally apply litigation against these chinkachow farmers, or better yet imprisonment. If you want crap to stop flying you gotta hit it with a serious force.
wow
# Feb 21 2008 at 1:26 AM Rating: Good
Quote:
- It seems that in the recent banning, the majority of RMT gil buyers were banned, but does the Special Task Force change the displayed number of accounts banned from month to month instead of displaying the actual number?
"Not only gil buyers"


Seems they do ban buyers along with sellers.
Banning hunter huh
# Feb 20 2008 at 5:51 PM Rating: Good
16 posts
edit* double post

Edited, Feb 20th 2008 9:50pm by Moregrim
LittleRobert
# Feb 20 2008 at 5:47 PM Rating: Decent
16 posts
SE says they are banning hunters but yet every day i check the sanctuary of Zi'Tah and i see this one botter there over and over day in and day out since i began playing ffxi over 3 years ago

Yes Bahamut Server should know him well Littlerobert.

if you check his ah history all he's ever sold were Tree cuttings and Boydah moss.

ive reported him once but stil see him everyday

SE says they banning hunter but why the hell is he still there !

well food for thought

/rant -.-
Keyloggers
# Feb 20 2008 at 3:49 PM Rating: Good
Quote:
A player's computer becomes infected with a Trojan horse or keylogger and before he realizes it, his PlayOnline ID and password have been stolen.


Such situations became TYPICAL for the MMORPGs. As keyloggers are acting on the victim's computer, not on the server I cannot really understand how can anyone except the player protect himself from such a threat. I had such problems and found in Warcraft forums a guy, recommending PrivacyKeyboard. I usually do not trust to such kind of messages, but I thought 'what a hell'. Anyway I was searching for anti-keylogging protection. So, the program really amazed me. Since I installed I started to see it blocking a lot of applications that, as I thought before, were safe! It really saved a lot of my accounts!
Hacked accounts?
# Feb 20 2008 at 2:09 PM Rating: Decent
***
1,093 posts
blah blah blah, when do we get our hacked accounts back? It's been a month already.
worthless
# Feb 20 2008 at 12:54 PM Rating: Decent
Also, I'ld like to add on here that adding a goblin bounty hunter here would prove very problematic to lot of players. Admittedly not for myself, I think at lvl 75 I should be safe, but what about for any low lvl player wanting to catch the ship... are they meant to stay downstairs in that horrible stuff room, and not enjoy the fresh air.

I think this is probably why SE are taking a little longer here. I have (some) faith in them, I think they'll get this sorted. And then the RMT will move onto something else. Hopefully that something else will be harder for them to make money, and involve some effort so there wont be many of them.

Long and short is... while people (read losers) buy gil for money, there will be RMT.
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