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[Audioboxer]

Pathetic.

Reminds me of the virus that locks your PC hard drive on boot and requests an unlock code you can buy lol. Ransomware I think they call it.

 

[boneyjangles]

lol how is this even a thing 🙄

Just about every online communication method so far goes through a 'spam' phase once it reaches a certain popularity threshold.

 

[test_account]

Sony doesn't care much about security&privacy in PSN, recent years have shown this fact clearly.

Can you elaborate a bit more on this in regards to this thread? How is this related to privacy?

Oh, that's just standard text. They're saying "Thank you!", and then than bottom part is probably part of all their communications, by the way I'm reading it.

Indeed. I've also got a message back from Sony after reporting someone, saying that they took action against the user.

For those suggesting to just turn off non friend messages as a good solution, wouldn't it be better if Sony implemented something similar to what Steam has, where you have to spend like 5 dollars on PSN to get access to community features?

It's just 1 month of PS+ which just about anyone who's playing with friends will be getting regardless, but it would put a pretty sizeable roadblock for sites that create bot accounts for the purpose of spamming PSN users, if they need to pay for each account to function like they want.

If this becomes a widespread problem, this could be a solution, or at least limit the problem. Some people would still complain about it though, someone in this thread complained about this being a payed service already.

 

[FantasticMrSnake]

That one, and also the 150 users group with "FREE PSN CREDIT" ¬¬ .. report it every fucking time..., but I don't know if it does any good.

For those suggesting to just turn off non friend messages as a good solution, wouldn't it be better if Sony implemented something similar to what Steam has, where you have to spend like 5 dollars on PSN to get access to community features?

It's just 1 month of PS+ which just about anyone who's playing with friends will be getting regardless, but it would put a pretty sizeable roadblock for sites that create bot accounts for the purpose of spamming PSN users, if they need to pay for each account to function like they want.

That's not a solution man, steam charges you $100 which stops a kid, but $5 for an scammer is nothing with the amount of data of the careless users that they got.

 

[KyleCross]

Thankfully, I only get messages from friends. I changed that shit when I started playing Overwatch (my first multiplayer game), just to be sure.

I'm curious tho, can getting a shit-ton of messages actually lag your PS4 out or is there a limit on messages? The reason I ask is because the PS3 got laggy as fuck if you had a lot of messages, and you'd have to delete after awhile.

 

[jabberwocker]

Those reporting, I'm not sure that does anything as it maybe spoofing anyhow.

 

[Sayad]

For a $60 per year service, PSN is garbage. People can just spam you with messages using Overwatch in game invites, it takes seconds to send someone, say, 20 invites and it'd take him like 3 minutes of alerts to receive them all.

 

[jabberwocker]

For a $60 per year service, PSN is garbage.

It is. But people are going to defend it anyhow.

 

[test_account]

For a $60 per year service, PSN is garbage.

What does money have to do with this though? Its about sending messages, that doesnt cost anything.

 

[jabberwocker]

What does money have to do with this though? Its about sending messages, that doesnt cost anything.

Your serious?

 

[test_account]

Your serious?

Yes?

 

[jabberwocker]

Yes?

You pay for a suite of working features. But the company can not matain quality control to maintain features. When this is happening you are having things pop up continually on screen. This is allowed because Sony is being most likely spoofed. It not like one username is being used.

 

[giant_frying_pan]

Opened that website out of curiosity and greeted with this.

God what a scummy piece of shit.

Greetings, friend!

 

[SmokedMeat]

Yes.

Go to messages, options, privacy settings, and select "only friends can send you messages" problem solved.

I need to do this when I get home.

 

[xrnzaaas]

Yep choosing to receive messages only from friends is the best option (same with disabling notifications for certain actions). You can still get friend invites and you don't receive spam, hate messages etc.

 

[Tecnniqe]

Just about every online communication method so far goes through a 'spam' phase once it reaches a certain popularity threshold.

Never seen it outside this.

Only "spam" is barrens and trade chat 😉

 

[Rellik]

Does PSN not allow you to block messages from people not on your friendlist?

Not only is it easy, but the privacy settings are part of the setup when you get a PS4. Sony even forced people to go through the privacy screen again when they added new options.

Always had mine set to friends only.

 

[test_account]

You pay for a suite of working features. But the company can not matain quality control to maintain features. When this is happening you are having things pop up continually on screen. This is allowed because Sony is being most likely spoofed. It not like one username is being used.

No, its free to make as many account as you like, and its free to send messages. PSN in itself is a free service, its just cloud saving and playing online on PS4 that cost money. This isnt spoofing either, someone has just created a lot of PSN accounts and are using those to send messages. You dont have to pay anything to be able to do this, thats why i dont see why money matters here.

What solution to this problem do you think Sony should do?

 

[TAJ]

I started getting these lately and I've never played online multiplayer through PSN, on PS3 or PS4.

 

[kqedequalsvolvo]

Reminds me a bit of FFXIV and the general measure against gold spammers for the longest time: opt out of whispers.

God yeah, I remember that. Super annoying.

Appreciate that the friends-only/privacy settings thing will work as a fix but it doesn't feel like a very good one. As someone said earlier on, lots of the people I game with I met in-game and messaged them after or they messaged me. Playing Diablo 3 on public for example or getting parties together with people off forums.

Don't think it's a matter of Sony not caring because they've already banked the PS+ money (though messaging is a free service), but surely there's a better fix than limiting everyone other than those on your list? Maybe a compromise would be a setting that let's you receive messages from friends and those on your current 'Players Met' list?

 

[jabberwocker]

No, its free to make as many account as you like, and its free to send messages. PSN in itself is a free service, its just cloud saving and playing online on PS4 that cost money. This isnt spoofing either, someone has just created a lot of PSN accounts and are using those to send messages. You dont have to pay anything to be able to do this, thats why i dont see why money matters here.

What solution to this problem do you think Sony should do?

It impacts paying members and the solution to the problem is that Sony should solve it.

 

[Tunesmith]

Why Sony has a web API that allows this without apparent velocity limitations boggles the mind.

 

[madjoki]

No, its free to make as many account as you like, and its free to send messages. PSN in itself is a free service, its just playing online on PS4 that cost money. This isnt spoofing either, someone has just created a lot of PSN accounts and are using those to send messages. You dont have to pay anything to be able to do this, thats why i dont see why money matters here.

What solution to this problem do you think Sony should do?

Well there's two easy solutions:

1) Block free users from sending messages to non-friends

2) Block if message has certain link or text eg. spampsn.com

Owner clearly relies on people paying to get blocked on service, this would prevent including links.

Then they could

3) Implement 'proper spam' filter

 

[Uhyve]

God yeah, I remember that. Super annoying.

Appreciate that the friends-only/privacy settings thing will work as a fix but it doesn't feel like a very good one. As someone said earlier on, lots of the people I game with I met in-game and messaged them after or they messaged me. Playing Diablo 3 on public for example or getting parties together with people off forums.

Don't think it's a matter of Sony not caring because they've already banked the PS+ money (though messaging is a free service), but surely there's a better fix than limiting everyone other than those on your list? Maybe a compromise would be a setting that let's you receive messages from friends and those on your current 'Players Met' list?

If I'm understanding right, this only really works easily because you can be added to groups without any user input. These spammers set up a group with their bots, add targets, then just have their bots post to the group.

I was added to a group earlier this week, honestly thought I'd been hacked, didn't even occur to me that Sony would be stupid enough to allow people to add you to their groups without permission.

 

[Azure Phoenix]

Im getting spam group chats selling bogus PSN cards... Pretty shitty occurrences all around for a paid online service...

Yeah, I've been getting a bunch of those recently and it pissed me off enough that I just set messages to friends only. I have no idea why you can't choose to not be automatically added to groups (or if that option exists I can't find it), if I had the option I'd disable half of the PS4's crappy new social features (people you might know etc.).

 

[madmackem]

It impacts paying members and the solution to the problem is that Sony should solve it.

I get the same shit on Xbox infact any service that allows people to send messages is open to this sort of thing I get it on live I get it on twitter etc I don't understand how this makes psn garbage when it's the same on services that allow you to send messages to anyone you like.

 

[jabberwocker]

I get the same shit on Xbox infact any service that allows people to send messages is open to this sort of thing I get it on live I get it on twitter etc I don't understand how this makes psn garbage when it's the same on services that allow you to send messages to anyone you like.

Their security protocal is questionable at best.

 

[AgentLampshade]

Yeah I got one of these. First thing I did was block the sender and changed my messaging privacy. Not dealing with that shit.

 

[UrbanRats]

Yes.

Go to messages, options, privacy settings, and select "only friends can send you messages" problem solved.

I'll do this.
Been receiving way too much spam messages.

Also Sony should sort this out, since PSN is a paid service, not amateur hour.

 

[bitbydeath]

It impacts paying members and the solution to the problem is that Sony should solve it.

How should Sony solve it? This isn't a glitch or a hack, people are just using standard features at the expense of others.

 

[MilkBeard]

Yeah, I keep getting random invites to these ridiculous groups that I know nothing about. I press leave, and then they keep adding me.

Glad to see there is an option to stop this in privacy settings.

 

[Kuldar]

I'll do this.
Been receiving way too much spam messages.

Also Sony should sort this out, since PSN is a paid service, not amateur hour.

PSN isn't a paid serivce, PS+ is. You can send and recieve message without paying the PS+ subscription.

But it doesn't change the fact that Sony should do somthing against this spam.

 

[Marvel]

I get invites to massive group chats a hell of a lot. It's annoying.

 

[jabberwocker]

How should Sony solve it? This isn't a glitch, people are just using standard features at the expense of others.

There are ways of limiting mass messaging. Stop defending allowable exploit.

 

[test_account]

It impacts paying members and the solution to the problem is that Sony should solve it.

Well, sure, but it can affect every memeber. Its not really something that can be fixed for only those who pay.

What solution would you offer to fix this problem?

Well there's two easy solutions:

1) Block free users from sending messages to non-friends

2) Block if message has certain link or text eg. spampsn.com

Owner clearly relies on people paying to get blocked on service, this would prevent including links.

Then they could

3) Implement 'proper spam' filter

Yeah, those would work. Spam filter and such would still make spam a possibility though, since it rely on the user itself to apply the criterias to the spam filter.

Their security protocal is questionable at best.

Which protocol is that?

 

[bitbydeath]

There are ways of limiting mass messaging. Stop defending allowable exploit.

And then you will piss those off who just want to talk to their friends.

Stop looking for problems when their are none.

 

[JP]

I do remember receiving spam years ago, not to this extent though. I'm not sure when it was, it may have been when the console first came out. I reported it and got a reply stating that it was dealt with, I changed my privacy settings to prevent unknown people messaging me and it's been perfect since then.

I'd recommend that people do something similar on with means of communication, I don't even get phone calls now if people aren't on my contact list.

 

[FSLink]

There are ways of limiting mass messaging. Stop defending allowable exploit.

Pretty much. I agree that people need to get better at learning their privacy options, but Sony needs to do more as well. This isn't exactly a difficult issue to fix.

Well there's two easy solutions:

1) Block free users from sending messages to non-friends

2) Block if message has certain link or text eg. spampsn.com

Owner clearly relies on people paying to get blocked on service, this would prevent including links.

Then they could

3) Implement 'proper spam' filter

Yup.

 

[jabberwocker]

Well, sure, but it can affect every memeber. Its not really something that can be fixed for only those who pay.

What solution would you offer to fix this problem?



Yeah, those would work. Spam filter and such would still make spam a possibility though, since it rely on the user itself to apply the criterias to the spam filter.



Which protocol is that?

Stop asking for my solution to the problem. Are you a Sony engineer who can't figure this out.

And then you will piss those off who just want to talk to their friends.

Stop looking for problems when their are none.

The topic list the problem.

 

[kqedequalsvolvo]

If I'm understanding right, this only really works easily because you can be added to groups without any user input. These spammers set up a group with their bots, add targets, then just have their bots post to the group.

I was added to a group earlier this week, honestly thought I'd been hacked, didn't even occur to me that Sony would be stupid enough to allow people to add you to their groups without permission.

That makes a lot of sense - I was thinking of it being a binary thing of who can or cannot reach out to you on PSN, didn't consider that there's a middle ground there. So a potential fix could be that anyone that messages you who's not on your friends list can attempt to, but you'd receive a shielded message ('XUSER (Players Met) wants to add you to a group/send a message"). Similar to Facebook message requests, in fact.

You'd still need a spam filter of some kind though - I know if I recognised someone's screen-name from a game I'd previously played, I'd likely be curious enough to allow the message.

 

[test_account]

Stop asking for my solution to the problem. Are you a Sony engineer who can't figure this out.

No i am not, but when people complain about something like this, i except them to at least have some suggestion on how to fix it.

And what security protocol does Sony use? If you're going to say statements like this, i would except you to back them up with more info if asked about it.

 

[SmokedMeat]

I was added to a group earlier this week, honestly thought I'd been hacked, didn't even occur to me that Sony would be stupid enough to allow people to add you to their groups without permission.

It's ludicrous that you can be added to a group without consent. Wtf Sony??

 

[test_account]

It's ludicrous that you can be added to a group without consent. Wtf Sony??

Thats how messages works on Vita and PS4. If you send a message to someone, it creates a group.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Thats how messages works. If you send a message to someone, it creates a group.

Two people are not a group.

 

[jabberwocker]

No i am not, but when people complain about something like this, i except them to at least have some suggestion on how to fix it.

And what security protocol does Sony use? If you're going to say statements like this, i would except you to back them up with more info if asked about it.

The solution is is to limit mass messaging which I stated already. As fat as their security protocal is concerned there have been issues with account takeovers for quiet a while now. Search the threads so should see plenty of topics.

 

[test_account]

Two people are not a group.

It is Try sending a message to someone, then click on the option button on that message, it will give you the option to "leave group".

The solution is is to limit mass messaging which I stated already. As fat as their security protocal is concerned there have been issues with account takeovers for quiet a while now. Search the threads so should see plenty of topics.

Sure, but how to do they limit mass messaging?

The threads about account takeovers doesnt link to their security protocol though, there is no evidence to say anything concrete about that.

 

[JP]

Two people are not a group.

If there's more than one of something, it is correct to call it a group.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Two people are not a group.

According to PSN they are.

 

[jabberwocker]

It is Try sending a message to someone, then click on the option button on that message, it will give you the option to "leave group".



Sure, but how to do they limit mass messaging?

The threads about account takeovers doesnt link to their security protocol though, there is no evidence of any hack going on.

They monitor it.

 

[GeeTeeCee]

The threads about account takeovers doesnt link to their security protocol though, there is no evidence to say anything concrete about that.

Lack of evidence hasn't stopped jabberwocker turning up in multiple "my psn was hacked" threads, claiming Sony have been breached and yet are somehow capable of hiding this massive breach from the Internet. It's a bit of a running trend at this point.

He'll bring actual evidence someday, I'm sure.