Outsourced Comcast Tech Goes Vigilante On Xbox Cheaters

By p858snake
in Back Page News

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

p858snake

Posted
Posted

Outsourced Comcast Tech Goes Vigilante On Xbox Cheaters

A Convergsys support technician outsourced by Comcast may have gone a little overboard in a quest for righteous videogame vengeance. After getting packet flooded (a networking trick that essentially DDoS's a user's Xbox) by some fellow gamers on Microsoft's Xbox Live! service, the rep claims he used Comcast support systems to wage war on the perpetrator, a Comcast customer.

"I work for Comcast as a tier 2.5 support agent, which essentially means im one of the top 1% elitest agents," brags the tech in a post to the Halo3 forums. According to "Sir Lagzalot," he used Comcast systems while at work to track down the cheater using said elite skills:

I proceeded to input his ip address into a program we have called SERVICE VISIBILITY PORTAL -- SVP for short -- and it brought up his account, address phone number, daddy's credit card info -- the whole nine yards...I decided that since this kid was indeed involved in illegal activity I'd give his daddy a call.

If his melodramatic post is to be believed (which we have no way to confirm), his call to the father resulted in the Xbox live cheater getting a beating and his Xbox getting smashed with a hammer:

well the father was furious, not at me however he assured me he would take care of the problem... the father began to yell at his son, i then heard a loud smack, and then sobbing, and then cracking noise as if something was breaking..it then occured to me that the father had just beat the sh.t out of his kid, and the cracking noise was the sound of a hammer on an xbox , i decided that being the self indulgent ****** i am, i wanted more...the father put the son on the phone, still sobbing i might add..and i said to him.."do you know who this is??" he answered "no"..i said "remember that guy u cheated some 20-30 minutes ago and i said u would pay??, well guess what son...u just did."

To support his story, the tech in question posted these two screenshots (1)(2) of the internal Comcast tools he supposedly used to enact his revenge. The support rep then brags about being able to terminate user accounts at any time:

i basically added these two pics for the non believers...and YES I can powercycle "shut off your modem" and lag you out of matchmaking as well...let this stupid little boy be a lesson to u all, dont flood my ip, or anyone elses...because if you plan on doing so i will cancel your service and you WILL have to find an new isp which can mean up to 500$ in installation charges, and for many of you comcast is the ONLY isp in your area...so let me rephrase this..IS IT WORTH IT????

With this power didn't come the wisdom to avoid using a real name before publicly bragging about abusing Comcast support systems for personal reasons. As a result, here's the Myspace page (first made private, then deleted since our report was first published -Ed.) and some photos of one twenty-year-old Mark Ribeiro of Canada. Ironically, he's a third year Criminology major.

While nobody likes a cheater, nobody likes having their personal ISP information accessed for vendettas by outsourced Canadian labor, either. Or at least you'd think so. Not one post in the ten-page original thread so much as suggested it might have been a dumb idea. Several called Ribeiro a hero. In other posts (3) by Ribeiro on the Halo 3 Forums website, he jokes about giving up user credit card numbers.

I can get anyones creditcard number by your ip address if u have comcast and are in my party :p I know your home address zipcode, email accounts as well...oh ya, and best part is i can restart your modem with a push of a button...so dont **** me off :p

Assuming his claims of privacy abuse, illegal dissemination of customer information and general anarchy are true, we know he's truly wandered off the Comcast reservation when he starts advocating BitTorrent use:

torrents torrents torrents..start off by going to ww.utorrent.com installing that program, then go to mininova.org and download anything u want from there. utorrent is the program u use to DL.

Comcast, for one, isn't laughing.

"We have identified the person who created this inappropriate post as an employee of Convergys, a third-party vendor who provides technical customer support for Comcast customers," Comcast spokesperson Jenni Moyer tells us. Moyer calls the tech's behavior "completely unacceptable," given he ignored proper protocols for reporting network abuse. If his story is true, he potentially ran afoul of several laws as well.

"We've contacted Convergys to demand that he be immediately removed from performing any work for Comcast and that they conduct a thorough investigation and take appropriate disciplinary action," Moyer says.

Links:

Source: Broad Band Reports

1. Screenshot #1

2. Screenshot #2

3. Forum Post: Secrets of your job and workplace. (Halo3 Forum)

Contributor

ruterger

Posted
Posted

If any of the Admins at my work did anything like this using our elevated security clearances they would be in court faster than they could say "KICK THE HACK."

Jeez man, it's Xbox Live. You kinda gotta think that this dumb kid was waiting for a reason to abuse his power for a while, otherwise this is totally a fakepost. I believe the fact that the dumbass is a Criminology major though, those kids are some of the roughest characters at my state college. From my experience they are either kids who were bullied too much and want power so they can flex their muscles (the kid in the OP seems to fall under this) or they are guys with criminal backgrounds just trying to refine their methods and "get inside the system" as a way to get around it.

But what the hell does it matter what I think! :D The kid in the OP should never be given power ever again. And he should also have all his achievements locked on Xbox Live.

Veteran

Ash

Posted
Posted
I work for Comcast as a tier 2.5 support agent, which essentially means im one of the top 1% elitest agents," brags the tech in a post to the Halo3 forums.

Guess he isn't THAT elite, bragging about crimes using on sites that contain he personal information... duh.

Imagine if these tech support guys put in that amount of effort into helping out the customers...

  • 1 month later...
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Posts

    • Why you need to take back control of your synced passwords and how to go about doing that

      By +Warwagon · Posted

      I love syncback!
    • Politically funny images of the World

      By +primortal · Posted

    • Get $50 of aloSIM Mobile Data Traveler eSim credit for just $24.97

      By News Staff · Posted

      Get $50 of aloSIM Mobile Data Traveler eSim credit for just $24.97 by Steven Parker Today's highlighted deal comes via our Apps + Software section of the Neowin Deals store, where you can save 50% off aloSIM Mobile Data Traveler Lifetime eSim Credit: Pay $24.97 for $50. Stay connected affordably in 120+ countries/regions with your own lifetime eSIM! An eSIM is a digital SIM card. It's basically just mobile data. Once it's activated on your device, it can connect you to data networks in other countries – giving you an internet connection with NO roaming charges. With aloSIM, you can load prepaid eSIM data packages onto your phone, tablet, or computer. Your lifetime eSIM never expires, so it's yours forever and there are never any monthly charges. You'll get $50 in eSIM data credit, which is almost always enough to cover all your data roaming needs for a full year. But if you run out of data, you can always top up your lifetime eSIM and stay connected internationally. Pay $24.97 for a lifetime eSIM with $50 in travel data credit Use your eSIM to join data networks in 120+ countries Install your lifetime eSIM on a compatible device to roam on local data networks Your lifetime eSIM never expires, and can be topped up with more data anytime Many data packages cost as little as $4.50 and last 7 days. Depending on the package you choose, the length of time varies. Good to know Length of access: lifetime For NEW customers only Instant digital redemption Once you add your $50 credit to your aloSim account you have up to 12-months to use it — after that your credit will expire When you pay for a data plan you also get a free phone number (via Hushed) for the same duration of your plan that was purchased - IE 7 day eSim plan gives you a free 7-day phone number Purchased coupon must be redeemed and used within 12 months This deal is not stackable (one offer per aloSIM account) A $4.50 data package will last 7 days The data DOES expire, and you WILL NOT have any leftover data for your next trip unless it takes place within the validity period. While the eSIM never expires, the actual data package is only valid for the length of time stated at purchase (i.e. seven days after activation, 30 days after activation, etc.) So if you buy a seven-day package and only use a tiny bit, that package is still going to expire after seven days. Access options: mobile (check compatibility) Max number of device(s): 1 Updates included Here's the deal: This aloSIM Mobile Data Traveler eSim $50 Credit normally costs ... $50, but it can be yours for just $24.97 for a limited time, a saving of $25 (50% off). For specifications, and license info please click the link below. Get this aloSIM Mobile Data Traveler eSim for just $24.97 (was $50) Although priced in U.S. dollars, this deal is available for digital purchase worldwide. Support queries If you have queries or need support for any of the Neowin Deals, please use the contact form here. Neowin Deals are managed and sold by StackCommerce who represent Neowin on an affiliate basis. Why we post these deals We post these because we earn commission on each sale so as not to rely solely on advertising, which many of our readers block. It all helps toward paying staff reporters, servers and hosting costs. So for those that keep moaning and complaining, be thankful we're still online for you to even do that. Other ways to support Neowin Whitelist Neowin by not blocking our ads Create a free member account to see fewer ads Make a donation to support our day to day running costs Subscribe to Neowin - for $14 a year, or $28 a year for an ad-free experience Disclosure: Neowin benefits from revenue of each sale made through our branded deals site powered by StackCommerce.
    • The Microsoft Office feature that time forgot

      By Fraud OS 11 · Posted

      WordArt was cool. We now have color fonts as a substitute although Word only supports COLRv0 and COLRv1 (Fraud OS 11 only). The OpenType SVG color font format needs to be supported by Office. Adobe's apps support it
    • Why you need to take back control of your synced passwords and how to go about doing that

      By fintechfooty · Posted

      i backup my files, incl keepass to my proton drive using Syncback which i paid for (thanks Warwagon!). they have a free version but i can't remember what it does and doesn't do anymore. anyways, it's really, really simple and easy to use. i also periodically keep backups of my keepass onsite especially when i've changed or added a password that is important to me. if you don't wanna spend time on the syncthing setup, get syncback. haha i even got my dad to use it for his backups to usb and he doesn't even need my help!!! (thank god!)

  • Recent Achievements

    • First Post
      DrWankel earned a badge
      First Post
    • Reacting Well
      DrWankel earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • Week One Done
      Supreme Spray LV earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Month Later
      Genuinetonerink- Dubai earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Genuinetonerink- Dubai earned a badge
      Week One Done

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      496
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      158
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      92
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      74
    5. 5
      Michael Scrip
      72
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!