Hacked? Here's help!
Written by usuki_gurl21

An unsuspecting Neopian walks to their computer and sits down. They boot it up, and log on to the internet. The url is put in : http://www.neopets.com. The login button is pressed. They type in their user name and password, but it says : This password/username is invalid. Have you forgotten your password? Click here! "No!" They say. "This is my password! I was just here yesterday!"

Does any of this sound familiar? If it does, listen up. You don't have to sit around and wait for it to happen, or just give up if it already has. YOU can do something about it. Here are some simple steps to follow:

1. Are you sure?
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Maybe it WAS the wrong password. It happens. It might have even been one little error, like typing flighty instead of flight. You might have put in your username wrong. I have two accounts that I used to use ALL of the time, usuki_gurl21 and anime_chick21. anime_chick21 was hacked. Sometimes I forget this, and put anime_gurl21 or usuki_chick21, and sometimes I even forget the numbers!

2.Who is the problem?
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Okay, News Flash. YOU might be the problem. Is your pass hidden in your user lookup? Did you use one of those "Give me your pass, and I'll give you NP/rare item" sites? Have you ever given it out, even concealed in a sentence while talking on chat to one of your neofriends? Not all people are what they seem. Remember that. Your best online pal one day, could be a potential hacker tomorrow.

3. Help! My password has just slipped out! How do I fix this?
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Quick Tips

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1. Stay calm.

2. Try to cover if possible. (e.g If your pass is your Best Friend's maiden name, try saying that's not how you spell it. Sometimes this buys you time.)

3. Remember who asked/posted a board/ or neomailed you about some deal/trick for Neopets. This user will be your hacker 9 times out of 10.

4. CHANGE YOUR PASS!!! Change it to anything that is not related to what it just was. Hackers can sometimes establish a link between two things and guess a possible password.

5. If you know who the hacker was, report him and alert all of your neofriends about him.

6. Send for password requests.

7. If you are out of your account, log in to or create a second one so you can see what's going on.

8. Talk to the intruder. See if he/she will just take the NP and items and just leave. Sometimes they'll agree. Sometimes they won't.

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4. I've done all that! What now?
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This is the thing that some people overlook. They've changed your password, right? Why don't you just ask for your password? It'll be delivered right to your e-mail box. Most hackers are only in it for the neopoints and rare items, so they don't really care who gets in, as long as it's not you. Try it.

5. Hey! I tried that! It didn't work!
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Okay, now you're dealing with an intelligent hacker. (there's an oxymoron) They've changed the registered e-mail to one of their own. Now you've got a problem. Tell all of your neofriends (or as many as you can remember) to watch out for your ex-screen name popping up anywhere. This shows that another person really is in your account. Try to monitor their activities so you know or can at least guess about the hacker's plans.


6. I give up! Nothing works!
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* Tell Neopets. Fire them off and e-mail and tell them EVERYTHING. Leave nothing out. A "non-important" sentence could hold the key to getting back in. Don't forget your account name and the account of the person who hacked in. This is essential.

* Face the facts. You may never see your neopets again. And if you do, all of your valuables may be gone. These things happen. Move on.

* Make a new account. If you REALLY love this site, make a new account and start over. It's just like life. Companies go bankrupt, and start all over again. You CAN make it back to the top, but now you'll be wiser.

* Move on. I cannot stress this enough. Neopets is fun, but it is just some data on the Net. It has zero effect on your real life. Please do not obsess over getting it back. Move on.

7. Tips
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* NEVER give out your password! Neopets.com tries to drill this into our skulls, and it doesn't seem to work, even on me. Just don't, unless you actually know the person from real life and you are 100% sure you trust them. There should be no room for doubt in this decision.

* Those "Give me your pass for np/rare items" don't work. The people who claim they DO work either are the scammers themselves or closely linked to them, probably being paid off.

* Play smart. If something seems fishy, it probably is. If you go to a shop, and find a great bargain, but it takes you to the login page, stop and think. Was I logged in? Is this a good deal? Or a major scam. Play smart, play safe.

I got hacked, and I'm hoping that this will help you avoid it. Thanks for reading it.



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