Scammed
Wed Nov 24, 2004 3:31 pm
I don't know how, or when. I don't even recall talking ot anyone about neopets or hotmail, but somehow, sometime last night my account was hacked. I had forgot what an awful sensation it is. Bah!
Wed Nov 24, 2004 4:40 pm
Oh, how sad for you. You sound like you have been hacked in the past--by any chance, could it be the same person? Or someone who knows you in real life, knows you play Neo, and knows enough about you to figure out your password or hotmail secret question (like a disgruntled sibling or former friend)?
Wed Nov 24, 2004 4:48 pm
Midnight, I am so sorry that happened. Do you ever use a public (like school or library) computer? If so, there are a couple of ways that could have happened. Someone could have been sitting nearby and watched you type in your password (I've heard of this scenerio before), or you didn't log out or the cookies were stored on that computer. Then someone else uses that computer and they can just view cookies and somehow take it from there.
I did read on another forum that (I hope it's long gone) someone had posted on a kazaa board a how-to "crack" hotmail and I know it's an easy web-based email to "crack". Happened to my roommate on her own home computer, on dial up, non-networked. She didn't have a Neo account, they went after her credit card info and went shopping.
And as Morningstar said, it's very possible that this was the work of someone you know, a 'friend' or sibling who for whatever reason was mad at you and decided to do this to get back at you.
I did read on another forum that (I hope it's long gone) someone had posted on a kazaa board a how-to "crack" hotmail and I know it's an easy web-based email to "crack". Happened to my roommate on her own home computer, on dial up, non-networked. She didn't have a Neo account, they went after her credit card info and went shopping.
And as Morningstar said, it's very possible that this was the work of someone you know, a 'friend' or sibling who for whatever reason was mad at you and decided to do this to get back at you.
Wed Nov 24, 2004 5:45 pm
Are you still able to get into your account, and if so, whats missing, everything, or what?? When i was hacked, i couldnt even get back into my account. 
good luck with getting your neo life back on track. 
Wed Nov 24, 2004 7:17 pm
There are also way too many 'guessers' out there. I don't call them hackers, because they have little or no talent. They just go through the list of most popular passwords and try them on more prominent accounts (people who have expensive items in thier shop / wiz / auctions ) and occasionally get lucky.
Change you password IMMEDIATELY to one that his hard to guess with letters, caps, and numbers. It can still be easily remembered EXAMPLE: Food4U
Create a new e-mail (this keeps people from staying logged in to your e-mail and still accessing your account) or change your e-mail password. If this has happened before, you have to be thorough! Log out completely and clean out your cookie cache and temp web files.
Change you password IMMEDIATELY to one that his hard to guess with letters, caps, and numbers. It can still be easily remembered EXAMPLE: Food4U
Create a new e-mail (this keeps people from staying logged in to your e-mail and still accessing your account) or change your e-mail password. If this has happened before, you have to be thorough! Log out completely and clean out your cookie cache and temp web files.
Wed Nov 24, 2004 8:15 pm
Ugh, sorry you got hacked, I remember when I was a newbie and fell for a scam, it's not nice.
I think that's still going around. I heard some guys at school talking about using it on some people.
everconfused wrote:I did read on another forum that (I hope it's long gone) someone had posted on a kazaa board a how-to "crack" hotmail and I know it's an easy web-based email to "crack". Happened to my roommate on her own home computer, on dial up, non-networked. She didn't have a Neo account, they went after her credit card info and went shopping.
I think that's still going around. I heard some guys at school talking about using it on some people.
Wed Nov 24, 2004 8:35 pm
Happy, I got scammed to when I was fairly new - fake log-in page in a shop 
I had never gone to the boards, didn't know about this forum, so it was pretty easy for that scammer to "get" me. It took me about 2 months to get that account back. I was actually "lucky"? They only took all my np and moved alot of my items around (which was weird), but didn't take anything and didn't touch my pets. Of course, this was like 2 years ago, these scammers/guessers/crackers/hackers nowadays seem to be much more mean. They'll take everything, abandon your pets, etc.
It really makes me so angry that that hotmail thing is still going around. I hope the folks who run hotmail (and other web-based email services) know about this and are doing something.
Passwords - make them really hard. You know what I've found helpful in making up a new password? The security code you need to log in. Some of those are really bizarre, and I would hope if you change the order of the letters/numbers would be pretty unguessable.
For emails? Use that security question! And for the answer, have the answer be something that has absolutely nothing to do with the question, or if you do have the answer go with the question, make the answer kind of nonsensical.
If you ever find yourself using a computer that others use, whether public or even at home with multiple users, I highly suggest clearing cookies and temporary internet after you log out or visit ANY site. It's what I do as part of my (hopefully) safter surfing. I also run my spyware and a/v every night.
I had never gone to the boards, didn't know about this forum, so it was pretty easy for that scammer to "get" me. It took me about 2 months to get that account back. I was actually "lucky"? They only took all my np and moved alot of my items around (which was weird), but didn't take anything and didn't touch my pets. Of course, this was like 2 years ago, these scammers/guessers/crackers/hackers nowadays seem to be much more mean. They'll take everything, abandon your pets, etc.
It really makes me so angry that that hotmail thing is still going around. I hope the folks who run hotmail (and other web-based email services) know about this and are doing something.
Passwords - make them really hard. You know what I've found helpful in making up a new password? The security code you need to log in. Some of those are really bizarre, and I would hope if you change the order of the letters/numbers would be pretty unguessable.
For emails? Use that security question! And for the answer, have the answer be something that has absolutely nothing to do with the question, or if you do have the answer go with the question, make the answer kind of nonsensical.
If you ever find yourself using a computer that others use, whether public or even at home with multiple users, I highly suggest clearing cookies and temporary internet after you log out or visit ANY site. It's what I do as part of my (hopefully) safter surfing. I also run my spyware and a/v every night.
Wed Nov 24, 2004 10:24 pm
700 000nps, my tyrannian snowbunny (poor hope!) two christmas pbs, about three sets of codestones, and some other things. I use a school computer, so i'm guessing that's it. lol, i doubt they could guess mine its about xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx long. Name number name subject. Hehe, i guess it's lucky they didn't abandon my pets again. it's impossible to get them back. I can still get in, it's just sad a bit. This is just the best gift ever! Well at least they left me my pets, i'm happy with that. Stupid scammesr, bleh. : P
Wed Nov 24, 2004 10:37 pm
Ack!! Sorry to hear that It's happened to me on my old account, still haven't had any word from Neopets on that account. I'm very sorry
It's happened to me on my old account, still haven't had any word from Neopets on that account. I'm very sorry
Wed Nov 24, 2004 11:18 pm
I'm really sorry to hear that, Midnight.
I'm a little poor right now, but if there's anything I can do to help you get back on your feet, feel free to PM me.
I'm a little poor right now, but if there's anything I can do to help you get back on your feet, feel free to PM me.
Thu Nov 25, 2004 5:32 am
oh no need loves! I'll just play some games, stoe, get some of my firends old accounts. I'm really just missing my snowbunn is all, hehe, i mean, i'm not allowed one in rl because my dog would eat it. hehe, but thank you for the generous offer. i'm lucky they left me some items at all! thank you though
Thu Nov 25, 2004 5:44 am
I wish I could help... That helps!
That helps!
Thu Nov 25, 2004 5:44 am
Midnight wrote: I use a school computer, so i'm guessing that's it. lol, i doubt they could guess mine its about xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx long. Name number name subject.
Since it was a public computer, I have to ask this. Is it possible that the system went down while you were playing? Because if it came back up after you left, you would still be logged in. In order to log out while Neo is down, you have to delete your cookies.
I had this happen to me on my home computer--luckily, it was my daughter who sat down at the computer after me--who knows I would throttle her if my account was even peeked at.
Thu Nov 25, 2004 11:28 am
I'm really sorry...I also hate when ppl mislead ppl on the boards..