Skip to main content

Long read: How TikTok's most intriguing geolocator makes a story out of a game

Where in the world is Josemonkey?

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

FIFA Ultimate Team traders say they're being targeted by hackers who are clearing their accounts of FIFA Points and coins

UPDATE: EA says it's investigating.

UPDATE 7TH JAN 2022: EA has said it's investigating the recent spate of FIFA account takeover attempts.

In a statement issued to Eurogamer, EA also pointed players to its official advice on how to secure your account, including how to enable two-factor authentication.

Here's the statement: "We've been made aware of recent account takeover attempts and are currently investigating."

ORIGINAL STORY 6TH JAN 2022: A number of high-profile FIFA Ultimate Team traders have reported being targeted by hackers who have cleared out their accounts of FIFA Points and coins.

Reports indicate that in the past week the top 100 traders in Ultimate Team have been targeted, with several saying they have lost access to their accounts and thousands of pounds worth of in-game currency.

Watch on YouTube

Affected traders include Fut Donkey (the current top FUT trader on PlayStation), Fut FG, Bateson and Nick RTFM.

What appears to be happening is the hackers are obtaining players' gamertags from the in-game FIFA leaderboards, then heading to EA chat to assume their identity and claim they have been locked out of their account.

It seems some people have been successful in convincing EA support staff to hand over the email address associated with the gamertag, and to reset the password on the account.

With the email and the reset password, these people then log in and empty the account of FUT Coins.

Fut Donkey sounded particularly exacerbated in a series of tweets issued yesterday:

"I told EA live chat two times to add notes to my account to put that my account was being targeted by hackers and to not change any details, and they still did it," they said.

"Nothing more I could have done and tbh I shouldn't have to do anything. It is basic security, disgusting stuff."

Fut Donkey also provided an image of their inbox showing a raft of EA Customer Support requests.

It appears Fut Donkey has also been signed up to a number of websites without their permission:

As you'd expect, the FIFA community has reacted with deep concern at the apparent ease with which account access was gained, and have called on EA to issue a statement on the matter.

Eurogamer has asked EA for comment.

Read this next