1. Definitions
Scammer: A person who swindles you by means of deception or fraud.
Hacker: One who uses programming skills to gain illegal access to a computer network or file.
Computer Program: A series of instructions that a computer can interpret and execute; programs are also called software to distinguish them from hardware, the physical equipment used in data processing. These programming instructions cause the computer to perform arithmetic and logical operations or comparisons (and then take some additional action based on the comparison) or to input or output data in a desired sequence. In conventional computing the operations are executed sequentially; in parallel processing the operations are allocated among multiple processors, which execute them concurrently and share the results. Programs are often written as a series of subroutines, which can be used in more than one program or at more than one point in the same program.^—> *I found this meaning to be the most elaborate and understandable* <—
2. Neopets Not A Program!!
Note: Only programs are hackable. Some people claim to have hacked Neopets. WAIT! Neopets is not a program at all. A program is something downloadable or uploadable. For example, PSP (Paint Shop Pro) is a program (hence “Pro”). There is no possible way to “hack Neopets”, given you’re not holding Adam at gunpoint and sitting in his leather chair with access to Neopets’ everything. Neopets was created using a computer language called PHTML. <— Not a program.
3. Scams – How plentiful
A. Fake Login Page –
1. Fake login pages are amongst the more common of scams. Say for example, you go to the shop wizard looking for awesome deals and see an unbuyable item priced at a ridiculously low cost. Your first instinct, to click on it before anyone else does. Then you’ll get directed to a page which resembles the Neopets Login Page, and of course since you’re trying to snatch that item before others get the chance, you’re not going to stop and look at the URL. Noooo, you’re going to enter your password and not think twice about it. Usually after doing so, you’re lead right back to the home page of Neopets. Fake Login Pages are also found when clicking on “report shop” links, pet pages, and anywhere else the scammer can think of.
B. Shop Scams –
1. You can be browsing the wizard for items when you see a normally expensive item for extremely low costs. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Upon clicking it some may find many in stock saying 1np for example. Clicking this and having a large amount of np out of your bank can be baaaaad. Not realizing it, you could be spending 10,000np on a 1np priced item. It’ll usually ‘click’ when after a couple of clicks you see a page saying you don’t have enough neopoints for this item.
2. Another shop scam is when you see an item (i.e. faerie paint brush) at a low price. (Not necessarily reaaaaaally low) While trying to grab it up, you’re not realzing that the owner may know JS/CSS/HTML and replaced the actual item in stock (i.e. faerie paint brush plushie) with an image of a more expensive relative (i.e. faerie paint brush). You’ve been scammed. Or making an item out to be more than it really is (that’s what the shop wizard is for!).
3. Then there are the combos of shop scams. Owners of the shop can combine 1. and or 2. with fake login pages or within each other. (i.e. You see what seems to be a faerie paint brush priced ridiculously low, when it’s really a faerie paint brush plushie, and you are scammed out of your neopoints.) Another possibility is you see an expensive item for a cheap amount of np, and click on it to buy it. Then you see what appears to be a login page. You click it, woo hoo! You just got scammed!!
C. Trades –
1. You have the innocent vs. the non-innocent. <— *Couldn’t think of a better name…not so creative XD* <— Let’s call them I and N, mkay? Say I offers on N’s lot, and before I has a chance to do so, N quickly cancels the lot. (Let’s say it was a FPB) N neomails I saying there was a glitch/bug/etc or an accident where she canceled the trade. N tells I to go back to another one of her trades where she put the item up again and to offer quickly on it. Now a reason for I to want to get this item is because N perhaps promised I as the first offer to get it for a junk offer or whatnot. (It could always be an honest trade where I really wants it…*shrugs*) I quickly re-offers, not noticing that she just offered —insert high amount of np— on what was really a crummie version of the origional. (i.e. a FPBP instead of a FPB.)
D. Promises –
1. One type of promise scam is one who says they make layouts/backgrounds for userlookups/petpages/etc. Don’t fall for this. They could be asking a small amount of np in return, to make it not look so suspicious, when they plan on getting more. They tell you to tell them the type you’d like and become all detailed and specific (the better and more careful scammers do). They say all they need is your password so they can paste the code into your preferences, and they’ll be done in a moment. Say they do put it in there, but change your email prefs… which is just as good as having one’s password!
2. Of course, other promises as well! Bidding the highest on an auction/trade *which would be called offering* (obviously crummie) and you get a special prize!
—> *I was lucky when I fell for this. I found an honest person to do my layout, but even then I shouldn’t have.* <—
E. Program Promise <— *My all-time fave!* —> –
1. Promising millions of np and tons of rare items and unbuyables. All you have to do is fill out a paper from another website they lead you to (which needs your password DUH). Or, they ask you right off the bat…Saying they need your password to get into your account so they can type up/paste a code/program there, which automatically enables what you were promised into your account. First of all, you can’t TYPE UP A PROGRAM! Or someone claiming the same promises, they just need you to change your email.
F. Phonies –
1. People claiming to be TNT sending you messages informing you of a bug/glitch/error they need to fix, and they need your password to fix it. Or that Neopets is shutting down, and they are only allowing certain Neopians with a special code in their lookup to stay on, and they can put that code there with just a password from you. To convince you, most semi-clever scammers will try to make their usernames as close to TNT’s as possible. Then there’s those who use CSS/JS to make their lookup resemble a REAL TNT members page. (i.e. erasing pets/stats/etc)
G. Cookie Grabber –
1. First of all, a cookie holds all the precious data (including your NP password) on your computer, and the sites you recently went to. Something to watch out for is if someone tries to get you to go to a site you haven’t heard of, be cautious. You might want to go to Tools, Internet Options, Clear Cookies, to ensure safety. Say you pay no heed and visit this site anyways, after just being on Neopets. Now you’re at the risk of someone taking your cookies. This is the time to be greedy, keep those cookies to yourself!
I. Things To Keep In Mind –
1. Neopets will NEVER ask you for your password. They state so clearly about everywhere possible!
2. If you think you’ve been scammed, immediately change your password!
3. Do not have obvious passwords. Include signs *whatever is possible*, numbers, and letters. Mix it up and make some letters capital, others lowercase. And, include PIN numbers on everything you can. Lucky for us, Neopets recently added that option in there for extra safety measures.
4. Never trust ANYONE on Neopets! I know it sounds harsh, but it’s simple really to befriend someone and then scam them!
5. Always pay attention to the URL. If it doesn’t say www.neopets.com it’s a scam!
6. Make sure before visiting a certain site (at your own risk of viruses) you delete your cookies, mkay?
7. Never give out ANY information!!!
8. Scammer/Hacker warnings in petpages, guilds, shops, lookups and anywhere else possible to put them can do some good. You know, to warn off the oncoming scammers.
9. Hackers are rare. Possible, but rare.
10. Whenever you see a fake login page/get scammed/anything out of Neopets code of conduct above, immediately report it! abuse@neopets.com If that doesn’t work you can always try support@neopets.com
11. NEVER share accounts!
12. Don’t believe people who say you can have their account. At all!
13. The staff are don’t want to chat with you. Be suspicious if “they” suddenly do.
14. Scammers like accounts with lots of money and items in it. Beware if your account is rich and you make it known. You always want to keep that private, k?
15. Always remember when you open a site you don’t know, you risk getting your cookies traced, viruses, spam, spyware, and much much more!!
II. Paranoias –
1. I was reading about safety messures just as you are. Before I had been changing my userlookup, and started talking on the boards about The Altador Plot. One user with an Adam avie told me to go to this one site, and I did. Unaware at the time about the cookie grabbing deal. Later as I was reading on, it clicked. I could have just been scammed. And worst of all, I would have fallen for it. So I immediately tried changing my password after deleting my cookies *That didn’t do any good because I already visited the site*. I was brought to a page saying it is unavailable for me to change my prefs when I was just there. I lost it!! *Note: not my account, my mind* I tried doing this several times after each time logging in, and after doing so I would delete my cookies. Every time I kept getting brought back to the login page, and it looked real, so why did it feel weird?? All users take this in mind: Once you delete your cookies, you delete the info saying you’re logged into Neopia, meaning you have to re-sign in.
2. If someone sends you a neomail saying if you don’t pay them —insert amount/items— they will report you for —such and such—, don’t worry. If you KNOW you haven’t done anything wrong, you’ve got nothing to worry about. I’ve had this happen to me very often.
III. Scammer Spotting –
1. Names: Scammers tend to go for names with mumble jumble in it, or repeat letters/numbers, random numbers/letters, not even caring the outcome. (i.e. dfgdfgdfgdfgdg / e5g43a201g) Obviously these scammers don’t intend to use this account any time soon *cough*FROZEN!!*cough*. Again, there’s the accounts trying to resemble TNT.
2. Games: Scammers might have high scores on their tables, but no trophies…? Now that’s suspicious!
3. Any of the above scam tactics.
4. Horrible spelling is a dead giveaway!
5. If they tell you about a program to get more NP, and say their friend/uncle/baby’s daddy made it for them, the only reason they do that is so they can avoid complicated questions. Or that’s what they want themselves to believe. They just don’t want to look like a fool for not knowing anything about this “program”.
6. Often say program!
IV. Scammer Sites –
Perfect examples of scammers telling you how to become scammers, when they are scamming YOU! (And be careful, some of the sites I clicked while looking for this, gave me French porno instead. Ewwww!)
1. http://neopetsnphack.tripod.com/
2. http://crakedneo.mobstop.com/index2.html <—This one needs to update a little!
3. http://www.neogenv1.tk/
4. http://www.freewebs.com/neohacktrillion/
5. http://www.petwalk.com/ubb/Forum41/HTML/001119.html
6. http://freeonlinesurveys.com/rendersurvey.asp?id=125569
7. http://FreeOnlineSurveys.com/rendersurvey.asp?sid=4hc23ra03js8eyz174863
And any other site that starts with geocities, freeonlinesurveys, and forums.
That should have covered it all, whew! Try to tell me if I missed something, thanks! – Concerned