BioWare cautions against 'Old Republic' beta scams

There seems to be a bit of drama surrounding the beta for BioWare's upcoming MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic. The developer posted in the game's official forums, warning folks to steer clear of any website or individual claiming to "sell beta accounts." (via GamePolitics)

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In general, the selling of beta accounts is prohibited by BioWare, but community manager Allison Berryman provided some clarification about the specific scams. "It has come to our attention that there are multiple individuals and sites claiming to sell testing accounts, 'beta keys', or other offers of access to our Game Testing Program," she said.

"All of these offers are false," Berryman continued. "BioWare is not issuing invites to Game Testing via any method other than those we outline here on SWTOR.com. We must caution you that these offers are often scams designed to steal your money, credit card information, or identity."

She added that all beta accounts are monitored under BioWare's Game Testing Program, and that when an account switches hands, it's almost immediately noticed. When this occurs, BioWare takes swift and decisive action, "including permanently banning the account from the service."

For those who are unclear whether or not an invite they've received is on the up-and-up, genuine beta invites will be sent to users from no-reply@bioware.swtor.com. Gamers that encounter any invites or offers of the scam-tastic variety can report suspected beta key malfeasance by emailing bwacommunitysupport@bioware.com.