Pokerstars Security Thwarts Would Be Hackers!

The matter of security when it comes to online poker has been brought up many times over the last few years, after all there are online poker players that play just for the fun of it, and then there are professional poker players that make a living playing poker on the internet. At a poker room where security was not the main concern, these players could fall prey to cheaters. The sort of leaches that don’t learn the game, and only profit when they cheat other online poker players through the use of Trojan’s and other invasive software or devises.

Everyday thousands of poker players use various means to deposit thousands of dollars into their online poker accounts, trusting the poker rooms they play with to protect not only their account balances, but their identities as well. Pokerstars has gone the extra mile and done just that. In fact, Pokerstars was not hacked.

Here’s what happened at PokerStars:

A handful of poker players reported to the felt poker forum having received an email from PokerStars telling them that they may have been a victim of an attempted identity theft. As a result PokerStars locked the accounts of effected poker players.

This email is to inform you, your account has been momentarily frozen due
to security reasons.

The alleged criminals behind the scam may have used a keystroke logging device to obtain the username and password information of these players the email explained. Players were instructed to run an anti virus software as soon as possible

a) Please run the Antivirus in your computer and search for any type of
virus or spyware. We have the suspicious your computer(s) can be infected
by a key logger. That is why need to know your computer is clear from
threats.

Now here’s the scary part. . .

b) Please change your email password information and any other password
from any online company that you use, in which you can access valuable
private information, your entire personal information could be compromised.

PokerStars is an internationally based company that hires a diverse group of people, many of which are quite fluent in several languages, therefore some of the grammar in the email was questioned when the poker players first learned about the would be incidents. Staff from PokerStars has confirmed the news, the emails are legitimate and players effected are urged to scan their computers as soon as possible. Those players have also been asked to fax proof of their identification to PokerStars to have their accounts unblocked.

Please scan the requested documentation and send to
security@pokerstars.com or fax to:
PokerStars
Attn: Security Department
Fax: 1-800-631-9050 – Toll free for US & Canada
+506-2295-6860 – All other countries

** Write your username on all the pages if sending by fax.

Thus far there are no reports of money having been lost, an investigation involving usernames ThirstyCa318 or MainMan Andy seems to be underway.

Also for our records we would appreciate if, you let us know if, you know
or have received assistances from: ThirstyCa318 or MainMan Andy.
Before, I let you go, I need to ask you for confirmation of the following
things:

No official statement has been made by PokerStars at this time.    

The Following was reported by Poker News Team over the weekend:

Hello,

Greetings from PokerStars.

This email is to inform you, your account has been momentarily frozen due
to security reasons. Wee are just trying to confirm everything is okay
with it.

As part of the investigation, I need to ask you if, by any chance you
belong or have received assistance (received a file or attachment) from a
digital forum where people help each other with technical/computer
problems? If so, please let me know the names or usernames of the persons
you know from this site.

Also for our records we would appreciate if, you let us know if, you know
or have received assistances from: ThirstyCa318 or MainMan Andy.
Before, I let you go, I need to ask you for confirmation of the following
things:

a) Please run the Antivirus in your computer and search for any type of
virus or spyware. We have the suspicious your computer(s) can be infected
by a key logger. That is why need to know your computer is clear from
threats.

b) Please change your email password information and any other password
from any online company that you use, in which you can access valuable
private information, your entire personal information could be compromised.

c) Please send us a clear photocopy of a government issued photo ID (front
and back).

Please scan the requested documentation and send to
security@pokerstars.com or fax to:
PokerStars
Attn: Security Department
Fax: 1-800-631-9050 – Toll free for US & Canada
+506-2295-6860 – All other countries

** Write your username on all the pages if sending by fax.

I will be looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Best Regards,

Roberta C
PokerStars Security

In another email, later published on the forums, Pokerstars asks players if they have accessed their poker accounts from the Netherlands recently:

“Greetings from PokerStars.

Thank you so much for replying back to our email.

I am afraid I must confirm our records show your account was accessed from Netherlands on 1/16/2009 at 4:38:30 AM. We just wanted to confirm if, you were the person who accessed the account on that date. At the moment it is pretty hard to determinate how the hacker had access to your information. For these type of cases most likely is through a key logger. Usually these type of viruses are sent via an attachment (photo, file, etc) or you used a computer which was previously infected. Fortunately, we have been able to catch it on time.

In order to reinstate please confirm your computers are free of threats and that you have changed your email password (we also recommend you to change any other private information).

As soon as we receive a clear photocopy of a government issued photo ID (front and back), the account could be reinstated. This is the only way we have to verify you are the account holder and not someone else that could have got in hold of your information.

Please scan the requested documentation and send to security@pokerstars.com or fax to:PokerStarsAttn: Security DepartmentFax: 1-800-631-9050 – Toll free for US & Canada +506-2295-6860 – All other countries

** Write your username on all the pages if sending by fax.

I will be looking forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you for your understanding and for your cooperation.

Best Regards,

Roberta C
PokerStars Security ”
__________________

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