Account Security

About Account Thefts
Sometimes the way an account is stolen is a real mystery, and despite every effort it’s never possible to figure out how the theft took place. But that’s pretty rare, really. In the vast majority of cases, an account theft gets stolen because someone made a decision that put his account at risk. Sadly, this sort of thing happens every day, and so much of the time, it can be prevented.

Here are some ideas — some do’s and don’ts — on how you can help ensure you keep your account, your characters, your achievements, and your items and wealth as safe as possible.

Do not buy gold or items from an RMT.
RMTs (Real-Money Traders) often will ask for your account credentials in order to log onto their site or to complete a transaction. But that info gives them the key to accessing the account and stripping it of valuable items, or of stealing the account outright (and in some cases, using it in future thefts or in spam-advertising). Plus, remember that buying gold and items is prohibited by the User Agreement and it will result in administrative action on the account not just of the seller, but the buyer, too.

Never sell anything for real money.
Sales of game accounts, access keys (game, buddy, trial), gold, or items is strictly prohibited by the User Agreement. Once such a transfer is reported or observed and then confirmed by the Support Team, the account will be terminated.

Do not trade game accounts or access keys (game, buddy, trial) for in-game payment.
You’ve seen the ads spammed from Ascalon City to Zhelon Reach: “Paying (lots of loot) for GW accounts.” But the spammers are not buying, they’re ’’stealing’’. Several times every hour, RMT workers persuade players to reveal their account credentials by saying things like “People from my region are not allowed to trade in Guild Wars. Give me your personal account information so that we can complete the transaction,” or “We can hide this illegal sale from ArenaNet. Give me your credentials and I will put your payment directly on your account.” If you hesitate, the RMT increases their offer because they have no intention of paying a single gold piece. Once the RMT gains your account credentials, they steal both accounts: the one you offered for sale and your main account, too. Even if an account is recovered — and often it is — it will frequently be stripped of irreplaceable items and wealth.

Do not share your game account.
Sharing might seem a nice thing to do, but many family feuds, broken friendships, and severed relationships have come about through the sharing of a game account. It’s not worth it! Don’t let someone play on your account even if you input the account credentials; don’t share your password with a friend, guildie, significant other, or family member… not even with your sainted Aunt Tilly (who we all know plays an amazing Necromancer).

Never buy a used account.
Buying a used account, or getting a copy of the game from an unauthorized seller, is a bad idea. Even allegedly “factory sealed” packages have been re-sealed by an unscrupulous seller, meaning the access key was either missing or used. Because accounts cannot be officially transferred, you will never be considered the official owner. That means you aren’t eligible for account support in the event you lose access or have any other issues.

Be extra careful on forums and other unofficial sites.
If you are a member of a fan forum, a video hosting site, a social media group, or an unofficial site of any kind, it’s best if you do not reveal your in-game user name. When on those sites, consider using a handle that is different than any of your in-game characters. If you use emails to conduct trades, use an email address that is different from your Guild Wars user name, and one that is not associated with your NCsoft Master Account, either. In fact…

Use a unique user name and a unique and complex password for Guild Wars.
Do not use the same user name or password for anything else, not a fan forum, a trading site, other games, shopping sites, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or anything else. Sure, this means you’ll need to get an email address that’s used only for GW. But it takes just a few minutes, and isn’t account security worth taking the time? There are many helpful Internet articles on choosing a complex password, but generally you’ll do best to have random letters, numbers, and perhaps a symbol or two. (You know the whole bit about not using your cat’s name or your birthday, of course.) Another password trick is to use two common words of 4 or 5 letters bridged by a set of numerals. Like (do not use these!): 2trees94fresh or rakes903arch44. It turns out that 4- and 5-letter words are so common it would take years to go through them all, and in combination with numbers, they make a very fine password.

Do not use third-party programs.
Yes, we say it a lot. Yes, some programs can be ok, sometimes and under certain conditions. But the fact is that many third-party program are not ok. And some start out ok but become something to beware of once they get an injection of “extra additives” in the form of trojans or keyloggers. No third-party programs are “approved” or “officially sanctioned.” And unfortunately, because of the way things change so quickly, we cannot provide a comprehensive list of program that you should avoid. If you want to go for the maximum in security, don’t use any of them. Ever.

Keep your email secure.
If someone gains access to your email account, immediately change your Guild Wars user name and password. (If you can’t get access for some reason, get in touch with our Support Team right away. If your game account is bound to an NCsoft Master Account, you are not able to change your Guild Wars user name but you can protect your account by changing your GW game password from within the NCsoft Master Account hub. And you can change the email address associated with your NCsoft Master Account (and your games) at any time. Many players feel that having an NCsoft Master Account adds another level of security to that offered by the game’s security requirements of a username, password, and character name.

If your account is stolen…
If Support is able to retrieve and return the account to you, do the following: (1) update your anti-virus and anti-spyware software, (2) do a complete scan with both programs, and then (3) change your password. Be sure you do this in that exact order listed. For if you don’t and the keylogger remains on your account, the RMT will simply steal the account again. If you need specific help with this, please ask the Support Team.

Let us help!
If you have an issue with your account, get in touch with the Support Team as soon as possible. If you find you can’t change your password, don’t have your access keys, aren’t sure what your user name is, or have any other account-related issues, I am confident the team can help. You can find contact info and tips on what details to provide to the Support Team in a sticky thread in the Notices and Announcement forum. Please note that contacting ArenaNet directly will delay your getting the assistance you need. So please use the contact points given on the link above and provide as much of the requested information as possible. This will ensure you get the help you need as quickly and efficiently as possible.

All of us at ArenaNet and NCsoft hope that this information will be useful in helping secure your Guild Wars account. If you have any questions or comments, please post in this forum and I’ll be happy to respond.

Questions? Comments?
This administrative post may be amended from time to time. If you have questions, comments, or concerns about these Account Security Tips, please start or add to a separate discussion thread below. Thank you!