Confirming ID - A Nightmare

As an old-timer, I live in fear of what might happen if my account ever gets hacked. If I lose access for any reason, NCSoft requires a TON of information to restore the account, most of which I haven't had access to in years.

- Original credit card number billed when the account was opened...

Say what??? I've switched banks since then and haven't kept credit/debit cards from seven years ago, sorry.

- ALL (ALL???) the serial codes (CD keys) from every (EVERY???) game and expansion put on the account since time began...

I've moved a couple times since then. The wife has also cleaned house on me a few times. I have almost NONE of that still in my posession.

- The original email notification from account activation...

That email account was closed years ago. It simply no longer exists.


So... How would I, as a well-over six year vet, regain access to my account, should something happen? Does NCSoft REALLY want to lose a customer who has already spent approximately $1300 on this game?

There has to be a better way! I propose having an ID on file with NCSoft so a mailed or faxed copy can be sent to confirm identity.


Any other thoughts? ...ideas? ...cookie recipies?

Online support asks that you provide as much of that information as possible to make a positive identification that the account is indeed yours. One piece of information that they will also accept is the unique account ID, which they will only send you on the creation of a brand new retail account associated with your Master account. I've gotten mine twice...once when creating my CoH account, and on an old address that was lost, so I did freak a little when I realized how important that was, and once when I created an account for another NCSoft game.

I don't think that online support support can do as you're proposing, however, if I remember correctly, phone support should be able to accept a faxed ID as proof of ownership, provided that the name on the ID matches the name on the account. Phone support is usually faster to deal with in hack cases anyways.

Yeah, I had to go through that trying to recall what my Guild Wars PW was a while back. (And I think played once since. *shrug*) While they need information, some of that is, IMHO, unreasonable. If you JUST signed up, I could see asking for the credit card number used to initially sign up, for instance - you're likely to still have it. (I certainly don't after all these years.)

If they're going to request those of me, let me make - say - a once-a-year request of the information as well, with a 30 day blackout period after an email or password change.

See my Guides and Tutorials

Cant you go to your NCSoft Master account details page, and print out as much info as they show, so that when and if you ever get hacked you can use that information to verify you're the account holder?

I had a similar experience when my Aion account got hacked, and through that they got into my NCSoft account and changed the password there. Best bet is to call support directly, they're really quite helpful and it's easier to verify your identity over the phone than through email (even though it's not like face-to-face interaction, you can answer questions about yourself faster and more accurately than someone posing as you).

Besides that, they can ask you directly for what you need and if you don't have it they can give you alternatives. Works a lot faster than waiting for someone else to read the email.

Best of luck, it's never a fun process validating your own identity.

EDIT: On a second read, I realized that this hadn't happened to you yet. Yes, as was said before, get a log of all your serial codes because they do ask for that. Also make sure you use a strong password, and make sure you've set your password hints. If you really want to protect your password, use one that has no actual words (a friend has a set area of the keyboard and runs down it, alternating use of the shift keys, so it looks like 6yhn^YHN7ujm&UJM) and change it often (every 90 days or so works well).

The account info page only has the last 4 characters of each serial code you have entered.

I certainly hope nothing of this sort happens to me. I was 13 when I started playing so it is highly unlikely I'll ever find any of the original information...

It would be kinda nice to be able to fill out an ID form of some sort for NCSoft which they could then use to check identity if needed. No idea what kind of information it should have, but probably full name, some other information and a few personal questions should suffice.

On the Credit Card number, they only ask the type (Visa/MC/etc.) and last four (as that's what their records will show them.

If the initial sub was via timecard then they want the whole thing.