City of Heroes: Live Forum Archive

A little disturbing...

Baron_Vango

By Baron_Vango,
Posted on: 2009-04-11 11:08 in CoH and CoV General Discussions

 

Posted

And possibly a tad paranoid, but I've just got a couple of spam emails through which contain character names from City Of Heroes.

None of my mains though, but characters I've created a while ago and never played. One of the names might (if you squint and apply spam logic to it) possibily be that of someone who did indeed want to (and I quote, with better spelling) "show me what really happens on the farm", but the other one would not in any reality be the name of a porn star.

It's kind of worrying that names I've never published online, but have created in a small online game are being sent to me in spam emails now.

So am I paranoid or are NCSoft jumping on the Phorm bandwagon and flogging our gaming details? (yeah, that's a tad extreme, but it's the weekend!)

"Idealism is such a wonderful thing. All you really need is someone rational to put it to proper use." - Kerr Avon

Myopic Aardvark on Twitter

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
One of the names might (if you squint and apply spam logic to it) possibily be that of someone who did indeed want to (and I quote, with better spelling) "show me what really happens on the farm", but the other one would not in any reality be the name of a porn star.

[/ QUOTE ]
It's good to boggle my mind occasionally - gives it a spring clean.

By my mohawk shall ye know me!
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Funny: Ee-Ai-Ee-Ai-Oh! #3662 * The foul-mouthed Handyman! #1076 * City of Norms #132944
Serious: To Save A Single World (#83744) * Marketing Opportunity (#83747)

 

Posted

Hey, Its not Paranoia if they really are out to get you!

Never experienced the like personally. Most odd.

 

Posted

Have you at any point mentioned these characters on the forums? It would be much easier to lift them from here than in-game.

"If there's anything worse than being sacrificed, it's being sacrificed incompetantly."

 

Posted

Nope. Never.

"Idealism is such a wonderful thing. All you really need is someone rational to put it to proper use." - Kerr Avon

Myopic Aardvark on Twitter

 

Posted

None of your post made any sense to me, and that makes me sad.

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
None of your post made any sense to me, and that makes me sad.

[/ QUOTE ]

I had porn adverts that used the names of my COH characters in my spam email. I've never published those names online. I've only ever created and left one of those characters in Outbreak about 100 days ago. The other I haven't logged into in 75 days.

Very odd.

"Idealism is such a wonderful thing. All you really need is someone rational to put it to proper use." - Kerr Avon

Myopic Aardvark on Twitter

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
None of your post made any sense to me, and that makes me sad.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
I had porn adverts that used the names of my COH characters in my spam email. I've never published those names online. I've only ever created and left one of those characters in Outbreak about 100 days ago. The other I haven't logged into in 75 days.
Very odd.

[/ QUOTE ]

Who? you or it?

Kidding.

It is odd and the reality is these names could only of come from you. As in either someone saw your names (highly improbable) or used names from a purchased list.

I'm not saying NC have sold the database names but it is common practice.

I've done it in the past several times.
But that's generally a business move as in I give a customer my database and they give me theirs kind of swap.
I don't think NC would do that ( I certainly havent seen evidence of it) and I can't see them doing it for hard cash either.

But if it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck....

Don't get into a flap. It's only my opinion and I'm thick

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Posted

Man I wanna see the movie now tho!

Patti does Paragon or was it Captain Anonymous and the @#%$ache of Doom?


"You got to dig it to dig it, you dig?"
Thelonious Monk

 

Posted

Intriguing....

*Puts on paranoia hat*
If you're absolutely certain you haven't mentioned the names anywhere then that leaves the possibility of some bit sneaky bit of code or macro looking at your machine, locally.

Whether by design or pure coincidence it seems to have found those names in the only obvious places I can think of that you can find them - as costume prefs or chatlogs in your CoX directory.
*Takes off paranoia hat*

We've all seen these sort of things designed to rip proper e-mail addresses from your contacts list in 'proper' e-mail packages, but I seriously doubt there's malware etc. out there specifically designed to pull CoX character names from the game directory o.O

If you get to the bottom of this please let us know - really baffled about that :O

 

Posted

I doubt it's my machine. I am very, very stringent about keeping my machine clean. (Call it a secondary effect of my job).

I'm actually fairly curious because my organisation is looking at protecting itself against Phorm style systems and this is an interesting example.

"Idealism is such a wonderful thing. All you really need is someone rational to put it to proper use." - Kerr Avon

Myopic Aardvark on Twitter

 

Posted

No. I was on COH Faces a little while ago (don't think it was part of the Titan network back then), but I don't believe there's any mention of these character names on that site.

Oh and happy cake day DW. Hope your SO brought you a browncoat themed cake!

"Idealism is such a wonderful thing. All you really need is someone rational to put it to proper use." - Kerr Avon

Myopic Aardvark on Twitter

 

Posted

Talking of paranoia, a charity pantomime performance for paranoid schizophrenics descended into chaos last night when someone shouted 'He's behind you!'

it depends on the names Aardy, if they're relatively common or something that could be thought of then you're being excessively paranoid. If they're unique and certainly not liekly to be created by random letters or name association then it's very strange indeed!

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Many and varied!
@Miss Chief

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
If they're unique and certainly not liekly to be created by random letters or name association then it's very strange indeed!


[/ QUOTE ]

If it were the characters Bob and The Other Bob, then I wouldn't be that concerned. but unfortunately it's two two word names that don't exactly go together normally.

"Idealism is such a wonderful thing. All you really need is someone rational to put it to proper use." - Kerr Avon

Myopic Aardvark on Twitter

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If they're unique and certainly not liekly to be created by random letters or name association then it's very strange indeed!


[/ QUOTE ]

If it were the characters Bob and The Other Bob, then I wouldn't be that concerned. but unfortunately it's two two word names that don't exactly go together normally.

[/ QUOTE ]

Military Intelligence?
Honest Lawyer?
Faithful Partner?
Trusted Friend?
Sober Judge?
Fairly Elected?

"Well, they found my diary today.
They were appropriately appalled
at the discovery of the eight victims
They're now putting it all together.
Women wrapped in silk
with one leg missing
Eight legs, one body, silk,
spider, brilliant!"

 

Posted

Nope - even more obscure than Ana Navarre's death code phrase in Deus Ex (and no, it's not Flatlander Woman).

"Idealism is such a wonderful thing. All you really need is someone rational to put it to proper use." - Kerr Avon

Myopic Aardvark on Twitter

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If they're unique and certainly not liekly to be created by random letters or name association then it's very strange indeed!


[/ QUOTE ]

If it were the characters Bob and The Other Bob, then I wouldn't be that concerned. but unfortunately it's two two word names that don't exactly go together normally.

[/ QUOTE ]

Military Intelligence?
Honest Lawyer?
Faithful Partner?
Trusted Friend?
Sober Judge?
Fairly Elected?

[/ QUOTE ]

You musn't be so cynical

@Golden Girl

City of Heroes comics and artwork

 

Posted

Yes he must... it's right there in his name. And in his two other names too. He's being true to his nature.

Rabbits & Hares:Blue (Mind/Emp Controller)Maroon (Rad/Thermal Corruptor)and one of each AT all at 50
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Posted

[ QUOTE ]
Yes he must... it's right there in his name. And in his two other names too. He's being true to his nature.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's still bad

@Golden Girl

City of Heroes comics and artwork