Point Scam Costs Microsoft $1.2 Million

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
45,698
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Point Scam Costs Microsoft $1.2 Million


An exploit that allowed hackers to generate new Microsoft Points [http://www.xbox.com/en-US/Live/MicrosoftPoints] codes from old ones has cost Microsoft roughly $1.2 million.

Websites offering free Microsoft Points are a dime a dozen and generally best avoided but on March 7 one went online that was, at least in some sense of the word, legit. A group of creative hackers came up with an algorithm that let them use old, existing MS Points codes to generate new ones and they put it online for all to share.

Each refresh of the site brought up a new 160 point code; one person claimed that he scrounged up $150 worth of points in about 20 minutes, but naturally others began having trouble accessing the site as traffic rapidly grew beyond capacity. For those in the know, a stand-alone code generator that could also generate codes for a Halo: Reach [http://www.amazon.ca/Microsoft-HEA-00069-Halo-Reach/dp/B002BSA20M/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1299687300&sr=1-1] Banshee avatar prop or a 48-hour Xbox Live trial was available from various pirate sites.

Microsoft dropped the hammer on the operation fairly quickly but not before roughly $1.2 million worth of MS Points had been cranked out. No word yet on what the company plans to do about it; if it has a way of determining which points are counterfeit it could presumably ban anyone who tries to use them and possibly even track purchases to give the boot to anyone who generated and used the points before it got involved, but whether that's practical or even possible is unclear.

Source: Save and Quit [http://saveandquitgaming.com/2011/03/microsoft-lose-1-2-million-due-to-code-exploit/]


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Danpascooch

Zombie Specialist
Apr 16, 2009
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Wow, wish I'd known about this uh, I mean, I totally wouldn't do something so awful.

It's actually hilarious when you think about it, it makes you wonder what else is legit among a sea of scams, maybe there's a completely legit "male enhancement" method out there, lol.
 

josh797

New member
Nov 20, 2007
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ace_of_something said:
Wait for it...
Wait for it...

I predict justifications for theft....

right about...

NOW!
no that only occurs when we are talking about piracy. stealing anything else is TOTALLY WRONG GUYZ! but stealing games is totally justified
 

Baresark

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Dec 19, 2010
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This is perfect. They like to try and rip people off for money by using their stupid point system. It would be one thing everything was sold by specific point card denominations, but they sell things at odd point values, so there is always a little left over, or your just a little bit short. It's underhanded. That is probably the only way PSN is superior to XBL. It sucks they got ripped off, but at the same time, I'm not really sorry. I'm not condoning it, but I won't shed a tear for them.

This is also proof of a problem where card numbers are randomly generated and placed on cards. You figure out the system, you get free stuff. USE REAL MONEY MICROSOFT!
 

masticina

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Jan 19, 2011
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Yup that is theft, big theft to in the end. Funny how that goes and it will hurt microsoft [not sure how much] since now either they spend allot of time tracing who used the codes. Or they write it off as a loss.

Actually they don't have a choice they will have to do something else they are shown as weak.

Point Scams.. well any system can be broken.
 

Deshin

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Aug 31, 2010
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Baresark said:
This is perfect. They like to try and rip people off for money by using their stupid point system. It would be one thing everything was sold by specific point card denominations, but they sell things at odd point values, so there is always a little left over, or your just a little bit short. It's underhanded. That is probably the only way PSN is superior to XBL. It sucks they got ripped off, but at the same time, I'm not really sorry. I'm not condoning it, but I won't shed a tear for them.
I HATE these arguments. Most of the stuff adds up to being the same value and will round off in the long run. (it's either 80, 180, 400, 560, 800, or 1200 values for things) If I want something that costs more than what I have I just buy a 2100 points card and I have points all ready and waiting for my next purchase I'll make within the next few weeks anyway. If penny pinching DLC and Arcade titles is THAT big a deal, then obviously you're not the target audience.
 

Gluzzbung

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Nov 28, 2009
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To be honest, if I'd been one of those hackers I probably would have kept the codes for myself, then its an unlimited supply of MS points
 

The Zango

Resident stoner and Yognaught
Apr 30, 2009
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So the threads on 4chan were real? But seeing as I'm a Ps3 gamer it doesn't really matter to me, but still, you've got to admire the ingenuity of hackers these days.
 

kebab4you

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Jan 3, 2010
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1.2 kk, really that´s it? I mean it´s much money for normal ppl. But we are talking about Microsoft here, they could wipe there ass with 1.2kk and still don't care.
 

Vrach

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Jun 17, 2010
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Baresark said:
This is perfect. They like to try and rip people off for money by using their stupid point system. It would be one thing everything was sold by specific point card denominations, but they sell things at odd point values, so there is always a little left over, or your just a little bit short. It's underhanded. That is probably the only way PSN is superior to XBL. It sucks they got ripped off, but at the same time, I'm not really sorry. I'm not condoning it, but I won't shed a tear for them.
^This. Can't say I feel sorry for them, they're right bastards for using the point system in the first place. Glad they got a little ripped off themselves.
 

FamoFunk

Dad, I'm in space.
Mar 10, 2010
2,628
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Gluzzbung said:
To be honest, if I'd been one of those hackers I probably would have kept the codes for myself, then its an unlimited supply of MS points
If I still had my Xbox I'd probaly do that too, lol. Or, I would sell them just to friends etc. not give them out on the interwebz.
 

Celtic_Kerr

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May 21, 2010
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kebab4you said:
1.2 kk, really that´s it? I mean it´s much money for normal ppl. But we are talking about Microsoft here, they could wipe there ass with 1.2kk and still don't care.
It's still 1.2 million dollars. How is that a justification/reason/excuse/anything? People used a code that cost a company a lot in potential sales. Doesn't matter if it's peanuts for a company. (and it may not seem like it, but 1.2M can still be A LOT even to a company like Microsoft)

OT: Can't they just find out who entered a bunch of 160 points codes in a short period? or find out who didn't buy legit points and rip them out of the account and label them as a cheater?

captcha: whoodi skill
 

thenumberthirteen

Unlucky for some
Dec 19, 2007
4,794
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Damn. That's the problem with having an extra step between cash and purchase. More holes to exploit.

danpascooch said:
It's actually hilarious when you think about it, it makes you wonder what else is legit among a sea of scams, maybe there's a completely legit "male enhancement" method out there, lol.
http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/new_car.png
 

Baresark

New member
Dec 19, 2010
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Deshin said:
Baresark said:
This is perfect. They like to try and rip people off for money by using their stupid point system. It would be one thing everything was sold by specific point card denominations, but they sell things at odd point values, so there is always a little left over, or your just a little bit short. It's underhanded. That is probably the only way PSN is superior to XBL. It sucks they got ripped off, but at the same time, I'm not really sorry. I'm not condoning it, but I won't shed a tear for them.
I HATE these arguments. Most of the stuff adds up to being the same value and will round off in the long run. (it's either 80, 180, 400, 560, 800, or 1200 values for things) If I want something that costs more than what I have I just buy a 2100 points card and I have points all ready and waiting for my next purchase I'll make within the next few weeks anyway. If penny pinching DLC and Arcade titles is THAT big a deal, then obviously you're not the target audience.
My argument aside. Why do people defend this point system. Explain to me how points are equal or better than just using strait money. My room mate, he needs more MS Points, so he punches in his CC number and buys more. Then they are converted from money to points which he always has some floating around anyway. I want to buy a game on PSN, I put in my CC number and pay the exact amount for it. It's the same thing with Steam.

Also, most isn't all. By your own admission there are things that do not fit into this point system. And what does penny pinching have to do with any of it? I know you are simply seeking to be insulting, but even you can see there are flaws in this system. It's literally completely irresponsible to not worry about money. Not all of us have money that we can just throw at things without worry about where the next check comes from.
 

mjc0961

YOU'RE a pie chart.
Nov 30, 2009
3,847
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I hope they can track which codes the site created and ban the hell out of the GamerTags (and their associated consoles) who cashed them in. That's just disgusting. Not only did they directly steal $1.2 million from Microsoft, but for all the games and DLC they stole with their ill-gotten points, there is no money for Microsoft to give the devs and publishers for their cut of the download.

Granted, maybe Microsoft will just have to pay them out of pocket. But then that means they actually caused Microsoft to lose more than $1.2 million, or if MS doesn't pay, then they stole from a bunch of devs and publishers too. Way to support the industry, thieving dickheads!
 

mjc0961

YOU'RE a pie chart.
Nov 30, 2009
3,847
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Baresark said:
My argument aside. Why do people defend this point system. Explain to me how points are equal or better than just using strait money. My room mate, he needs more MS Points, so he punches in his CC number and buys more. Then they are converted from money to points which he always has some floating around anyway. I want to buy a game on PSN, I put in my CC number and pay the exact amount for it.
Not if you're trying to get a $0.99 avatar or a $1.99 sackboy costume. Then you have to give Sony $5, no matter what. Granted, I will agree that it's great that you can pay the exact amount if your purchase total is over $5, but it's still bullshit that I have to pay $5 if I'm not buying $5 worth of stuff. Save this "wallet" crap for child accounts so that parents can manage how much money they want their kids to have, but for big boys, let us only pay $1.99 if our total is only $1.99.