Guild Essay Contest - Beta Invitation Email *suspicious*

[Rhyela]

My brother received the following email from "blizzard.com". He said it looks suspicious yet legit at the same time. I told him no way, man, that definitely looks naughty to me. I'm fairly certain Blizz knows who's in our guild. I mean, it's as simple as taking a peek at our Armory page and finding the accounts from there (or something to that effect...I'm sure they would know somehow). Has anyone else received one of these or something like it to confirm whether it's safe or not (I'm 99.9% certain it is NOT safe).


Congratulations!

Your guild has been selected as a winner of the Cataclysm Beta – Guild Contest! Your entry is one of 500 chosen to receive invitations to the Cataclysm beta based on your essay. Please respond back to this email with the following information so we can attach the beta licenses to your chosen guild members’ accounts.

Guild Name:

Guild Leader’s Full Name:
Battle.net Address:

Player 1’s Full Name:
Battle.net Address:

Player 2’s Full Name:
Battle.net Address:

Player 3’s Full Name:
Battle.net Address:

Player 4’s Full Name:
Battle.net Address:

Player 5’s Full Name:
Battle.net Address:

Player 6’s Full Name:
Battle.net Address:

Player 7’s Full Name:
Battle.net Address:

Player 8’s Full Name:
Battle.net Address:

Player 9’s Full Name:
Battle.net Address:

-Blizzard US Community Team

[Unggoy]

Hmm. I know there was a contest like this, but as to whether the email is legit or not, i cant say. If he didnt enter his guild, did someone else do it?

[Rhyela]

My brother is the one that wrote the essay, but I'm still not convinced. I just find it hard to believe that Blizz requires that info via email. Battle.net address......that's our ACCOUNT INFO! And haven't they said they wouldn't ask for that information via email?

[Unggoy]

Right. But Blizzard is only gonna let in a few people from the guild, not the whole guild, so they cant really get the info from there sources, considering they cant assume they know who wants in. (I hope that made sense)

[Sekhmet]

To the best of my knowledge, the betas for the guild essay contest were given out already. One of my friend's guild got theirs almost two weeks ago now.

Three things look suspicious about this... and perhaps some clarification is needed.

1) Blizzard wouldn't ask for everyone's Battle.Net via email. If he did, in fact, win the contest, they would have, most likely, to keep it legitimate and honest, contacted him in-game. Again, I don't know if this is accurate.

2) 9 people, plus him chosen? I believe, if I'm not mistaken, the contest was for only the guild master and TWO others. I don't remember it stating that the GM and nine others would be chosen, but again, I couldn't be wrong.

3) The guild master was to have done the essay, that was the only way you would receive credit for it, and if chosen, chosen for the beta. I know this for a fact, because I remember reading it and telling my girlfriend to choose her guild, since she's the GM. And if he is the GM, then Blizzard wouldn't, obviously, need his Battle.Net address, nor the guild name. Blizzard can put two and two together. What really caused a weary eye to me was this email asking for real names. Blizzard NEVER asks for people's real names, as it's nine-times-out-of-ten unnecessary. Any time I've ever been contacted via email from Blizzard it was always titled "Dear Joseph" (my real first name, btw), not my entire name. And I highly doubt that they really need to know your full name in order to give out a beta invite.

To my sort-of trained eye, I would chock this up to absolute fake.

EDIT: I just noticed this, and can't believe I missed this before... it clearly states "respond back to this email". No email that comes from Blizzard, minus the support staff, allows you to respond to it. They're basically dead-end addresses.

[Sarayana]

I'd say to call 'em. It sounds odd to me that they'd ask one person for account info for other players...

[Sarayana]

This post on wow.com says that that's exactly what the mail from Blizz looks like. So... Yay? Yay!

[Rhyela]

This post on wow.com says that that's exactly what the mail from Blizz looks like. So... Yay? Yay!

Indeed!!! My brother also got the IP that the email came from and it said Blizzard Entertainment. Wooooooo!!! I'm so flaptastically excited (yeah, totally made up a word in my excitement). Yayayayay!!!

[Nikrosnil]

http://www.wow.com/2010/08/02/first-rou ... t-winners/

YAY! Was this just for his guild, or for petopia?

[Saturo]

Okay...
For Player One; write Saturo, that's S-a-t-u...

[Sarayana]

Haha! You should at least be on the server to try and pull that, Saturo. Rhy, it's spelled S-a-r-a-y...

Congrats! Have fun finding all the bugs for us. I mean, game code bugs. But tameable bugs would be nice too.

[Noor]

Congratulations!

And, it's N-o-o-r.

Easy, not hard at all.