Thread: This is Embarrassing and Shameful

I never imagined that I would wind up here, not once in the countless hours of time logged into TPG servers could I have imagined this. I come before you today to ask for a ban appeal.

This Appeal is for my account named: TholisWhiskey, this is not a secondary account it is my only one. I created a brand new account for the purchase of BF4 with the desire to join back playing with regularity the TPG regulars I had come to call friends. Punkbuster Banned the brand new account with a crosslink ban, I called EA support. They verified that there was no link to any other accounts, and they couldn’t see how punkbuster could have surmised there was. They offered to add BF4 to a new account, and apologized for the hassle. Nicest help desk team I have ever dealt with.


Here is a link to my stats page from the bf4 server: TeamPlayer Gaming - Player Information
BF4 Battlelog:
Progression - TholisWhiskey - Battlelog / Battlefield 4
BF3 Battlelog:
Progression - TholisVerrin - Battlelog / Battlefield 3

Server:TeamPlayerGaming.com BF4 - Conquest - Classic Settings - Multiplayer - Battlelog / Battlefield 4
I couldn’t find a link to the TPG bf3 Server stats for a comparison else I would have provided it as well.

The history:
Sometime ago, I took a long break from BF3, I didn’t play or login for months, work decided it would consume my soul for the better part of ~10 months. When I finally found my head above water, projects done, and unappreciated as has become the norm.
I decided I’d return to BF3. I recovered my account, as the password that was written down physically wasn’t correct, this should have set off warning flags but I chalked it up bad hand writing and failure to type and print it. I logged into a server upon the spurring of Trautloft, to give it a go once more and knock off the rust before returning to TPG. I wasn’t sure how much the game had changed or how rusty I would be after such an extended leave of absence. I was greeted moments after logging into a random server, to a kick and a message about a punk buster ban. I appealed it as it was the only thing I could think to do. I talked with a rep for what felt like days, but was only an hour at most, I spoke with EA neither were helpful in any way, and couldn’t or wouldn’t provide me with information to try and track down how this occurred. I looked at my battle log and noticed sessions outside of the TPG server, the only server I played anymore, and a few after I had stopped playing.

Some of you may be aware of the fact that my longtime girlfriend elevated herself to fiancé a few weeks before I took my hiatus, and she brought with her a nest of malware, spyware, Trojans, viruses, and a rootkit to boot. I should have never allowed her computer on my network, and I should have thought about checking it first. It went uncleansed for longer than I care to admit. In my happiness with regards to the changes in my life because of my excitement I over looked her computer, incompetence is the only word I have for it. With the benefit of hindsight, I know that her computer was used as her families’ primary desktop… The things I found, there are reasons I quit freelance IT work. I cannot be for certain; but the timing of events has lead me to believe that my network became Swiss cheese, while districted by meatspace . Once I realized that something was amiss (only after google informed me of logins from china) , every account I had anywhere, was getting a password reset from a virtual keyboard, from a computer at work. I had login activity on my Gmail from china even after changing the password and not logging from the house. Later I even discovered that my facebook account had been compromised, and that the last logins had been from Japan, and I don’t travel…

I haven’t, don’t, nor will I ever have the desire or willingness to cheat. I lost an hour of sleep last night fretting over this. It’s been the only thing on my mind all day, and after reading the banned section sticky I’ve been even more worried. I don’t want my good name blackened by something beyond my control. I’m sorry that I didn’t come forward sooner you can understand my embarrassment and shame, an IT guy getting pwned at home. I have made good friends here; I’d prefer to keep playing with them. I want to come back to the server and people I’ll always call family.

Thank you for your time, your patience and your willingness to listen.
-Webb