Sticky: Towns Hack - Impersonating Staff/Colored Names and More

[SimplySimone]

We wanted to send out an alert about the Towns hack where users are impersonating Gaia Staff by basically cloning their accounts and recreating the colored username.

So far, we know that Lanzer, Ron Bruise, Admin, and moderator Soundblast have fallen victim to this hacking. Oftentimes these clone accounts have colored names making them seem like legitimate staff accounts.

What to look for:

- sometimes the username will be black and then turn color
- sometimes the username will show up in Towns before the avatar
- sometimes the clones show up naked (in underwear)
- sometimes they're clothed
- oftentimes, the clones are saying mean and hateful things and often spewing profanities (this is completely uncharacteristic of Gaia staff/mods).

If you experience any of the above in Towns, please report it.

I will add more to this list if things change. Please feel free to add any new details as you see them and grab (and post) screenshots of anything new if you can.

We are working hard to resolve this issue.

Thank you,
heart SimplySimone heart

[I Cappie I]

I'm a victim. Quite, one of the worse victims in towns. I do have screenies of the main account who has recently planted clones in Barton 8 001000 of racial, discriminating things. It includes a statue of an exact replica of my avi, but it's not me. But it's preventing me to log in towns, and be with my friends, and it was done intentionally as a malicious attack so I couldn't come back. So I had to add a dash to my name so I could get back in towns. I had no choice. I'm not apart of staff. But I am a user, and a victim. And all I am trying to do is enjoy Gaia too. This really needs to be stopped. Somebody showed me this thread in towns, 'a caring friend' and I thought I'd post in it. I do have screenies as well. I need to upload them on photobucket which might help.

[I Cappie I]

Here is a screenshot of the user admitting doing this. Here are the profound clones in towns now. This is their main. I also have more as well of other issues pertaining the same situation. This is the same user who has been impersonating all the mods/admins, which includes Lanzer, Soundblast, and others, 'referring to making the color change, and look legit' and copying an exact replica of the Avi. And once a avatar is exactly copied from it's original condition, it's impossible for the user with the real account to log in, because technically the user is already logged in. Towns only triggers and recognizes one name, per user. I hope this helps.

[SimplySimone]

x C a p p i e x-

I'm a victim. Quite, one of the worse victims in towns. I do have screenies of the main account who has recently planted clones in Barton 8 001000 of racial, discriminating things. It includes a statue of an exact replica of my avi, but it's not me. But it's preventing me to log in towns, and be with my friends, and it was done intentionally as a malicious attack so I couldn't come back. So I had to add a dash to my name so I could get back in towns. I had no choice. I'm not apart of staff. But I am a user, and a victim. And all I am trying to do is enjoy Gaia too. This really needs to be stopped. Somebody showed me this thread in towns, 'a caring friend' and I thought I'd post in it. I do have screenies as well. I need to upload them on photobucket which might help.

Hi x C a p p i e x-,

We're very sorry that this is happening to you. We are aware that you are a victim and we're working very hard to resolve this issue. Thank you very much for the screenshot too. If anything new develops, please post info here and grab a Mod on duty at the time.

Thanks!

[I Cappie I]

Ok. I have new updates on the 'towns' predicament. I haven't been logged in Gaia all day, but I do have friends who keep me informed of issues pertaining the same situation. But the situation keeps developing into a bigger routine for this user.' It appears that this user has planted more clones in towns, but now he is hiding them behind trees, and objects. Very possibly in random houses, or remote areas of towns.


New Issue Firstly: This user is planting 'innocent users' names now who are associated with me behind trees in Various areas in 1000. My second one planted is still nowhere to be found. I have been scouting other places.. Updated 7-26

Locations of statues hidden behind objects I found are :

Barton 8 - Bottom right Tree
Barton 9 - Top left Tree
Barton 7 - Bottom Right house
Barton 4 - Bottom right Tree

New Issue Secondly: 'The reason why I have a dash in my name is so I could go back to towns, 'temporarily until the first clone IS removed' because towns triggered my avi was already logged in, when it really isn't even me. But now, this user has planted my avatar remotely hidden somewhere so it's not found, 'with the dash -' so I can't go back in at all. 'To his intentions anyway.' It's very, well he's cloned it again, 'with the dash,' because every time I do try to log in once again. I get this same message.. And there is no way, I'm logged in, when I'm writing this message of concern. This is what follows below:


"Method: Town Server
Error Code: Joining Session Failed
Error: You are already logged in to towns. Please close all other towns windows. If you have already closed all towns windows, wait one minute and try again.

Please copy and paste the above message and send it to [e-mail]"



If this message shows up for any of the users above, he has made a clone of your avatar recently in towns. Updated - 7-21-08


That goes to show, that another replica of my avatar is somewhere in towns, but it could be anywhere. It could be located in a house, behind a object, a tree. It's believed to be hidden. Recently,not only is he hiding these new clones, to attack innocent users as a malicious attempt, but he is also making it so the clones are not reportable. I do have a updated screenie. Somehow, he disabled the reporting tool for these clones, 'when found,' for any user he has impersonated.

My Suggestions: These are only suggestions. They are not to be assumed to take immediate action to. But my suggestion would be to disconnect towns until the problem is cleared, and refurbished. That way, less Admins, Mods, and users are at risk of having their avi's cloned and planted in the back country of towns somewhere, or just anywhere. Doesn't matter. Impersonation of a Admin, mods, staffing, even users is highly against the TOS, and consequences should be addressed.. I'm tired, from my own eyes, seeing this user doing this to Admins, mods, and regular users who just rather enjoy Gaia and have fun with their friends.

In conclusion, what this user is doing is wrong. It's disrespecting the staff, the mods, and the users that come on Gaia to enjoy the site, and in towns. It's not cute and should not be tolerated.

I will have the updated screenie shortly.

-Cappie


I have recently updated this post. 7-22-08

This is a screenie showing one of the hidden statues behind a tree in Barton 9 001000. There is no telling how many of these are spread out globally out of the 1000 area. I do have 'marks.' I will be updating these shortly. But, this is what appears when you try to report the statue.

[Cresandra]

In 5 Barton 1000 there is a line of frogs covering the bottom of the screen; lets try to get this cleaned up:

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/6016/frogel7.jpg

[I Cappie I]

I am still gathering more information, and more Screenies. I apologize for taking longer then expected. Currently, this morning, more clones were put up in Barton 9 001000. I have two different sets of clones that appear in this window. One set is at the top left. Another, directly at the bottom right. These sets of clones appeared approximately at around 4:20am Monday 7-21-08 California time from the same user who planted the clones of my avi, and the discriminatory clones in Barton 8, as well in general, 'impersonations.' A long side of the hidden clones as well. It has been bought to my attention, that this user who is doing these malicious acts on Gaia is teaching other users how to commit such acts as well, as into leading them, or teaching them to Morph Packet editing programs. Also, I've been told some of these acts are being promoted on Youtube. And for the record, there is also some discriminating, offensive, recreated clones in coloured names in these two screenies below.

-Cappie

[I Cappie I]

Your post isn't appropriate for this forum. It will be removed.This forum is strictly for discussion on updates on the Towns hacks, and impersonations, as well as Screenies.

-Cappie

[I Cappie I]

This morning, I happened to be lurking topics, and ran into Barton 9. Yesterday morning, these statues, and coloured names were not here at the Top right. Most of these coloured, names are racial.I cannot say I am too sure when these were planted here, all I can say is, they weren't here yesterday, but it is of course the same person. This is an update on Barton 9 001000.

[I Cappie I]

I have another screenie, of a set of clones planted in towns. These probably went up sometime during the day. I went to go look a few minutes ago and they are no longer there, but this is what I got. They were not there at all earlier today the last time I checked before I took this screenie. And it appears that there is a suspicious user whom, I have ignored roaming about as well within these clones. I find it a bit uncanny.

[I Cappie I]

I have collected more screenies to update. These are small things that I have been noticing. It appears in this screenie that this user has hidden a coloured name behind the selected, circled clone. I cannot make out exactly what it says, but when I click it, it says, "User Does not Exist." This coloured name was NOT in the previous screenie I took that was put in the thread before.

[I Cappie I]

I have yet another screenie that I did take earlier today. This is another colour hack, but the name is yellow instead. This took place in Barton 9 001000.