cheating in pogo tournaments

[PECCHIOIDNAS]

Here's a thought, get rid of the tournaments altogether.  Most if us don't even play anymore because we are sick of the same games and too many cheaters.  I reported a person in pogo bowl using bot, they had 50+ 300 games in one session. 

[JuztDezzertz]

You are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.  The cheating has gone on for years with no repercussions for the offenders.

Tonight (in one particular game) the TOURNAMENT shows that one TEAM is listed FOUR TIMES (they are in 1st, 4th, 6th, & 7th place).  How is that even possible?  Two other teams are listed TWICE.  And the #1 team has a score in the BILLIONS, which is impossible without cheating. I report & report & report...nothing happens.

I just sent a screen shot to EA.  Guess I'm ever the optimist that something will (finally) be done.

[JuztDezzertz]

I continue to report the cheating (which has been going on for YEARS but is escalating).

Tonight one particular team in the TOURNAMENT (in ONE GAME) is listed as being in 1st, 4th, 6th, 7th place...with scores in the BILLIONS.

BILLIONS!  That's impossible without cheating.

Yes, I've reported it & as usual I included a screen shot.

[JuztDezzertz]

NO (obvious) ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN AGAINST THE CHEATERS in the YEARS that I've been reporting this.  THEY'RE STILL THERE...THRIVING...& CHEATING.  And now ONE TEAM is listed multiple times in the TOP 10...OF THE SAME GAME.  

[JuztDezzertz]

Oh how I wish it were true that action is taken.  One team in Mahjong Safari is listed multiple times in the Top 10.  If that's not obvious cheating, what is?  And I've reported this multiple times & it only get worse.  It used to be that they only accumulated TRILLIONS of points in a few days (some teams with only 3 members).  If that's not obvious cheating,what is?

[CindyH5211]

It's unacceptable that Pogo allows the tournament cheaters to continue abusing the system.  I enjoy the tournaments and do not think they should stop when it seems relatively easy to fix.  For each of the 9 games there is a maximum score that could be attained if 5 people were playing say, 16 hours a day (pretty unlikely right?).  That should be the automatic cutoff score for cheaters, any team above that score should be disbarred from Pogo.  Any team that is listed multiple times (Dubell Level for one) with scores in the trillions needs to be dumped.  Note that Dubell Level currently has 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 7th place in First class solitaire, and presumably will receive 4 gold medals for one game in one tourney period.  All we are asking for is some basic monitoring here, just go to the leaderboards and look at the first page or two in each game.   This is different than just cheating to get badges (which is bad enough), because for every cheater getting gold, a hard-working team is knocked back to silver.  

Combine some housekeeping with the new requirement Pogo has announced about requiring a valid email address for all new accounts (Very good Pogo!).  It won't prevent cheating but at least it won't be so flagrantly obvious and discouraging to serious players.

Oh, and it is also unacceptable that this thread is marked as resolved -  "This topic has an EA-approved solution"

THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED!!!

[VEIVETCLOAK]

Hi,   I have just read yours and other players about the cheating within the Tournament games.   I also have a Team and can totally understand your views.

When I see cheating within a game I auto click the players name and use the message box that comes up.  

It is frustrating, and also annoying when we,  who player Pogo games by the Rules and Regulations set out by Pogo/EA, but feel that it is, that it would be, a great shame if you left Pogo altogether.  I know that when a report goes in, it is read, and action is taken, but in an open message, I cannot reveal anything more.   To leave Pogo is letting the Cheaters win.  They will soon get tired of getting any action taken.

It might be an idea that if you have any thoughts on how it could be stopped completely, then why not contact via the EA method which is private, rather than the open forums.  I can assure you they do reply as I have used this method myself.  

I hope this helps yourself, and any other player who is experiencing the same.

Good luck.

[CindyH5211]

VeivetCloak,

You seem to be saying that the status quo is working, that pogo players need to do all the work of documenting cheaters, copying and pasting screenshots, and then wading through the numerous options to get the proper way to report an issue.  What I see in this thread is that many players have done all that, and are frustrated because the cheaters are still there.  I myself have reported teams, several tournaments ago, and they are still there in those top spots, and I never got a response from Pogo other than an auto reponse 'we have received your complaint but due to privacy issue we cannot tell you how/if action will be taken' (not exact quote, I'm going from memory).

The frustration is that these time-consuming methods are NOT making a difference.

This forum is part of Pogo's official help page, so I assumed the issues were getting back to Pogo.  

I'm a little confused, what exactly is this forum for?

[JuztDezzertz]

I can assure you that doing as you suggested is not a solution.  I receive "canned" replies that suggest I click on a link & then click on the icon that says "phone/chat": NOT THERE!

And we're rarely in the same room, at the same time, so that doesn't do any good whatsoever.

But I appreciate your input.  I just wish your suggestions were beneficial.

[VEIVETCLOAK]

This morning whilst playing  in the Tournament Games (Rainy Day Spider)  I decided to keep swapping rooms.  I went into one, and there, in front of my eyes, were five players (ALL with the same name) on the auto cheat.  The scores were just skimming up.   I did, what I always do, and that was to report the player concerned.

What will Pogo do about it?   I find Pogo send an auto answer informing me that action will be taken.  It's not for me to question what that action is!!   I've given a contribution to my Game and other players by doing this.

What do I see afterwards?   I see lots of new names with extremely low scores, and I guess that is my answer to my having done reports.   Surely, this is a good way of settling the situation, not to mention demoralizing to the cheating person?

One cannot blame Pogo for how people behave whilst playing, but we, as players, if more of us were to report the cheating, the message will finally sink it......it's just not worth it..  The cheat loses whatever they paid for having a cheat program, plus the scores that they have built up.   I don't allow it to aggravate me, I just get on with the reporting, and continue on to enjoy my own play.

We all need to band together if we wish to succeed, to make it more and more difficult to cheat, with the end result that it's just not worth the risk.   Plus the fact that there is a huge number of Pogo Members, and the majority are great, it's just the odd few that try to get away with it.   We should tell our friends on how to do a cheat report.   I asked someone how to do it, and I have, once I got the hang of it, have passed that information on in a message.  Having said that, Pogo state how to create a report, which boxes to tick etc.   Some players don't like the idea  of reporting as they fear that they will be found out for doing so. 

Don't get me wrong, I've been with Pogo for some years now, and enjoy it.   I would certainly not allow cheat players to achieve me  leaving.