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Can’t wait to see the other goodies coming to the Marketplace tomorrow.

Cheaters and hackers beware, a console ban is a permanent ban. If you try and sign into LIVE and get “This console has been banned for violations of the Terms of Use. To protect the Xbox LIVE service and its members, Microsoft does not provide details about console bans. There is no recourse for Terms of Use violations.” your console is done for.  Buyer beware as a console that has been tampered with an sold or given away is still going to be banned.  Your warranty is void and you will not be able to have your console serviced.

I have not committed any fraud, I’ve never had action taken against me by the enforcement team, and I know for a fact I have not modified my console.  Can you undo my suspension?

The investigations and subsequent actions taken by the Xbox LIVE enforcement team are conservative in nature.  We work very hard to try to fully understand that a console has been modified by looking at a variety of information.  Sometimes it’s possible that a previous owner or another user may have performed unauthorized modifications to the console.  It is also possible that the purchaser of a used Xbox 360 was not aware the console was modified.  In either case we cannot undo the console suspension.  We recommend customers who believe they have not modified their Xbox themselves (or committed other actions on the service to warrant suspension) to contact previous owners or users of the console.

Check out the rest of the story at Xbox LIVE Policies on Console Suspensions

Major Nelson, aka Larry Hryb, ‘Xbox Live Director of Programming’ in the Xbox Live product group, just posted on twitter a link to Xbox.com with some valuable advice on keeping your Xbox LIVE account safe.

What is Unauthorized Access?

How are accounts compromised today?

Account Sharing - Do not share your Windows Live ID password with others.

Phishing Scams - Do not reveal your login credentials or other information about you or your account(s).

Gamerscore Boosting sites - should be avoided

Email and Web Site Phishing Example

Social Engineering - Do not reveal personal information about yourself or your accounts.

How to Secure Your Account

How to keep your Windows Live ID secure - Microsoft and Xbox will never ask you for your Windows Live ID password in email, Instant Messaging or over the phone. Enter your Windows Live ID password only at known Microsoft sites or through the Xbox console.

How to help protect yourself online

Remember, your gamertag is your online identify on LIVE and should be protected just as you would your ATM pinor other persoanl information  In someone else's hands you risk your account and possible financial obligations, play it safe and never give out your gamertag account information.  Lots of people complain about they’ve been hacked on LIVE when in reality they’ve chosen to share information with others or have passwords that are easily guessed. 

Interesting post by The Pro on the forums:

As you know, people are suspended for offensive content in their bio, motto, or location.  Violators will receive a suspension, and the words “Code of Conduct” are entered in their profile.  After they serve a suspension, they get suspended again for what they believe is the exact same offense.

Gamer “Foo” places inappropriate content in his bio. (infraction #1)

Gamer “Foo” changes his bio, leaving inappropriate content in there, or placing additional inappropriate content in there. (infraction #2)

Gamer "Foo" receives a suspension notification for Infraction #1. (email includes offensive text)

Gamer "Foo" serves suspension #1.

Gamer "Foo" receives a suspension notification for Infraction #2.  (email includes offensive text)

Gamer "Foo" gets confused and associates both infractions with the previous suspension.

This doesn’t cover all possible scenarios, but it covers many of the suspensions that we have seen in recent history.  Each time you put offensive content in your bio, YOU WILL receive a suspension.  This isn't a case of "I wonder if they can see this...", we see it, and we take action. 
All posts regarding "I was suspended twice for the same thing!!" will be referred to this post. 

malegrettiPXB, an Xbox MVP from Brazil brought to our attention something pretty cool that the Brazil marketing team came up with, a Halo 3:ODST Augmented Reality Campaign.   malegrettiPXB tells us: “Despite being in Portuguese, the website is very simple and intuitive; just scroll down to the bottom part of the page, print the PDF that is on the step labeled #1, and then point your webcam to the printed page”.  This is really wild to see as more and more augmented reality seems to be popping up everywhere.   Hats off to the Microsoft Brazil.