A GM Telling too much about Proxies/VPN and their detection.

[psychoangler]

So i created an account, using a VPN (NYC IP Address).

I created 3 characters, leveled them to level 5 and put overpriced starting crafting maps like Stingy Wolf Meat etc to the AH (like a million gold total across 3 accounts/servers).

Account got locked after only 45 minutes (no trades completed yet)

I though some might find this GM Chat interesting:

Barinuiall 20:02:06
Howdy! I am Specialist Game Master Barinuiall, how are you doing today?
you 20:02:22
im ok but i would like to know why my account was banned?
you 20:02:33
i actrivated it like 40 minutes ago
Barinuiall 20:02:37
Checking things out right quick.
Barinuiall 20:08:22
Still digging here, apologies for the delays.
you 20:10:03
sure
Barinuiall 20:12:32
So...what's up with the auctions you created?
you 20:13:21
nothing. Just fooling around lol
you 20:13:27
i didnt know that that is against any TOS
you 20:13:30
to create auctions
Barinuiall 20:14:08
I mean, it's not, but it looks super fishy, especially when done by a proxy...
you 20:14:23
i didnt know that using a VPN was against the TOS
Barinuiall 20:14:39
Again, it's not, it just looks super fishy.
you 20:14:40
is there any valid reason for this account to get banned?
you 20:14:56
or are u telling me that im banned because i look fishy?
Barinuiall 20:15:53
VPN use is a way that compromisers try to hide their access so that they can steal gold from players. Our systems are built to be a bit stricter against VPNs because of that, and it's why we say you shouldn't use a VPN when connecting to our games.
you 20:16:18
did i login to other players accounts?
you 20:16:21
i created a new account
you 20:16:26
so how would i steal gold
you 20:16:32
seriously
you 20:16:41
give me any valid reason or quote your TOS
you 20:16:45
or unban this account
you 20:17:02
so far your telling me im using a VPN and that i posted auctions
you 20:17:11
did i steal anybodys gold?
Barinuiall 20:17:21
You're using a VPN so I can't really tell whether or not you logged into someone else's account. Either way, I'm going to have to send this up for further investigation, because there's not enough evidence that this is legitimate play to overturn it as is.
you 20:17:33
the account is brand new
you 20:17:39
how would it be someone elses?
Barinuiall 20:17:57
I'm not saying this account is someone else's.
Barinuiall 20:19:10
I'm saying that based on my initial investigation, this account appears to be an attempt to move gold from another account, using VPNs to hide that access and high price auctions to try to avoid detection by our system. It's incredibly fishy, and while you do seem legitimate in our conversation here, I'm going to have to send this up to a specialist team for further investigation.
you 20:19:36
even if i wanted to transfer gold using high price auctions
you 20:19:42
i cant see that being against any TOS?
Barinuiall 20:20:18
If it's stolen from other players, yeah, it's against the Code of Conduct/ToU.
you 20:20:21
and if its not?
you 20:20:37
so far your telling me im transferring potential stolen gold
you 20:20:42
nothing was transferred
Barinuiall 20:20:58
Because our system stopped it from happening.
you 20:21:02
well apparently
you 20:21:07
so
you 20:21:16
now your system stopped "it" from happening
you 20:21:21
and now you have nothing against me
you 20:21:26
and you will have to unlock my account
you 20:21:30
whats the catch?
you 20:22:14
i get it if i HAD stolen any gold
you 20:22:21
then YOU have to wait for someone to report stolen gold
you 20:22:26
and then you can see where it went
you 20:22:33
but this way is just wrong
Barinuiall 20:22:50
I'm not unlocking this account. I'm sending it up for further investigation by a specialist team. If they come back saying that this is a false positive, I'll overturn the ban and send a follow up saying "Hey it's overturned" as well as returning any game time lost due to the ban. If they say it's legitimate, the account will remain banned.
you 20:22:55
what if i just wanted to do a raffle and gift gold to my twitch.tv fans?
you 20:23:21
hillarious :)
you 20:23:25
thanks for this chat

[Dante]

Are you the streamer dopefish?

[psychoangler]

nope im not that guy

[crunk001]

lol... okay

[Jaladhjin]

Howdy! I am Specialist Game Master Barinuiall, how are you doing today?

I'm sending it up for further investigation by a specialist team.

Not a very special specialist imho

[psychoangler]

:P :P funny is - im 99% sure the account got banned because i bought it from a chinese website - thinking thats the main reason not the VPN stuff

[IChangedMyUsername]

Interesting read. Thanks.

[SmallDikGuy]

Thanks for the info i found it really interesting i didnt know that they checked the auction house like that and that the bans where automatic.
like a month ago i asked a gm if they ban for using vpn he told me that they dont.

[SmallDikGuy]

You used a free vpn or paid ?

[Wells]

interesting, thanks for posting

[Android32]

HM. just a fun story here but week ago my account got banned because someone hacked it and SOLD gold on it. I talked to a gm, and since i was connected to a vpn at the time chatting with the GM, he couldn't do anything but refer my case to that "special team". in the end though i got my account back and 7 days of free game time.

[psychoangler]

i am using digitalocean boxes as vpns - so no blacklisted free vpns.

Interestingly enough, the account got unbanned without any notice or ticket or anything.