So in the past couple of months I've had to change my xbox live password twice because "someone was using my account" so they blocked it. Both times I had pretty secure password with upper and lower case letters, numbers the whole deal. So I'm starting to wonder if this is bugged or not? None of my other sites that I use have been compromised as google and others have alerts for suspicious IP's logging into your account. Is Microsoft security just this bad that they're able to attain these passwords at will or is their detection just wigging out by accident? I do have a Chrome plugin that logs into my Xbox Account and shows me who's online and lets me even send messages through a neat little drop down. Maybe thats causing it?

Has this happened with moderate frequency to anyone else?

@Humanity: It hasn't happen to me. To make sure make a really complicated password such as $fdTbE684*%vdn and see if its still detecting stuff. If it does then it might be bugged or someone really wants your account.

@Humanity said:

I do have a Chrome plugin that logs into my Xbox Account and shows me who's online and lets me even send messages through a neat little drop down. Maybe thats causing it?

Has this happened with moderate frequency to anyone else?

Sounds like this is probably the culprit, unless Crash Override or Acid Burn have it out for you.

@mtcantor: I'm thinking it might be but it's a really good plugin.

@SexyToad: I wish they even told you like "we detected foreign IP's logging into your shit", but they just block your account straight up - nothing like "hey is THIS you? - Login 4:22am from Shibuya Japan" so I'd know like yah thats definitely not me.

Maybe this is related, maybe not. Your xbox doesn't actually have to know your password, just be associated with the account. I had my account hacked and used on someone else's xbox. When the password was reset and xbox promised me that the other xbox had been removed, the problem, nearly immediately, came back. As xbox did not actually remove the xbox's association with the account. So I could change the password many many times, and all the other guy had to do was turn on his xbox and have it autologin. This repeated three times until I asked the final tech to tell me how the system worked. He then de-associated all systems with my tag. That finally fixed it

@Humanity: Have you tried contacting microsoft?

@Robinson: Maybe this is it although I don't have any cards linked on my account

@SexyToad: I'm going to try I don't want to call but finding an actual e-mail address to contact with tech problems is even harder.

@Humanity BAM! https://help.xbox.com/eform.aspx?productKey=xbox360live&ct=eformts&scrx=1

Could be someone with your email address, so you may want to change the email associated with the Windows Live ID. If you have a Microsoft email associated with the account you will need a Xbox, but if you don't then your PC works fine for changing it on xbox.com. Your purchases on the PC/Xbox side are tied to the gammertag, and not the credentials, so they can be changed. Doing that should wipe the slate clean, and should force gamertag download in order to connect.

@SexyToad: Thanks!

@Wendschlag: Well I only have my hotmail account tied to that console with my gmail as a emergency contact in case of a compromise. I've changed my Hotmail password to something ridiculous as stated above and I know my Gmail is fine because it doesn't have any suspicious IP logins.

@Humanity: doesnt require a card being linked to the account, just that an xbox receives a special hash (non related to the password) that allows it to login. Whenever you xbox logs on, it doesnt use your password but for the first time. If the xbox is still associated with the account, it is just allowed to log on. Not a very safe system, but it is what microsoft uses

@Humanity: Sometimes when I reset my password it says my account has been sending suspicious messages, but I keep changing the password and nothing malicious has happened, so I'm not too worried. Someone would tell me if I was sending weird messages, right?

@eccentrix: I suppose so. I don't even use my live mail address for anything but a login to XBOX LIVE. Their system just wonks out sometimes which is kinda dumb but as @Robinson mentioned the way your console logs in without password prompts is even worse as I've changed my account password about 3 times and I've never had to change it on my console - it always just auto logs in.

@Humanity: Yeah, it's a little worrying how little security there is on that front.