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Hello, I am Aaulir.

I will guide you along the way.

This page is a helpful guide to stay safe in the slightly mundane world of Neopia.

Here, you will learn everything there is to know about scams.

Wait a minute! What is a scam?

According to the dictionary I'm using, a scam is a "confidence game or other fraudulent scheme, esp. for making a quick profit; swindle." So it's basically a dishonest way to make money without any effort on the scammer's part.

Introduction

It is truly a sad thing to see beggars of Neopia lurking the NeoBoards. Wouldn't it be mean to refuse to help the poor ones of Neopia?

The truth is, many of these accounts may be very wealthy. They may pretend to be poor to get you to feel pity towards them, and to give you hard-earned Neopoints to them.

The sad thing is, many people fall for it.

This is why Aaulir's Guide to Staying Safe was created - to help protect Neopia from the dangers of scams and similar trickery.

Read on to stay safe!

Scams

1: Pet Sitting

Scenario:

A user Neomails you asking if you're going away on vacation any time soon. Since you are, you say yes. They quickly reply, saying that they can look after your pets for you if you tell them your secret word.

What NOT to do:

Don't tell them your secret word--they'll more than likely steal your account if you do. And even if their intentions were good, you could still be frozen for account sharing and such.

What you SHOULD do:

Report them, as you always should, and block them as well. If you want your pets to be well-fed while you're on vacation, just put them in the Neolodge.

2: Posing as TNT

Scenario:

You see a board that says, "I'm a member of TNT! If you Neomail me your secret word, I'll give you lots of Neopoints and great items!" The user is very convincing.

What NOT to do:

Don't tell them your word! TNT doesn't need to ask you what it is--it's in their database already. (How else would they be able to send people their secret words when they forget them?) And TNT wouldn't give items away, except in contests or Random Events.

What you SHOULD do:

Report and block.

Cookie Grabbers

Recently, I have heard rumours about cookie grabbers lurking in user shops and on the Neopets web site. Although I'm not sure that they really exist, I think I should tell you how to keep safe from cookie grabbers.

Firstly, if you're looking for bargains on the Shop Wizard, and see an extremely rare item for 1 Neopoint, don't click the shop. It could possibly be a cookie grabber. Unless you're pricing your shop, I would stay away from the Shop Wizard for a little while, just in case.

Secondly--if you're on the Help Chat and a user says that Tarla has arrived, don't click the link until you see two or three boards announcing her arrival.

Wait?! How do I know if I was cookie grabbed?
If you go onto a Neopets page (or one offsite) and a blank popup opens and closes within a matter of seconds, you may have been cookie grabbed. If you're worried, very quickly change your secret word. (If you'd like, you can clear your cookies, but it's pointless as the cookie grabber only has your old cookie. With a new secret word, they won't be able to get in as they'll only have the cookie with your old login information.)

And, lastly, remember that if it looks too good to be true, it probably is! People will not be selling Draik Eggs in their shops for 1 Neopoint.

I've been Scammed!

If you've been scammed, first of all, DON'T PANIC. Lots of people have been scammed, so it's not the end of the world.

Resist the urge to vent on the Neoboards. It is spam and will probably get you iced.

Rebuild. Neopoints and items are earned, and if you had alot, then you could probably re-earn it again with a bit of persistence.

If you were scammed, another recommended thing to do would be to report the scammer. To report them, click this link and fill out a form; try to make it as detailed as possible so that TNT can make a verdict more quickly.

Other Scam Guides

Here is a little list of other helpful scam guides.

Neopets Safety Tips

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Navigation

Contact Me

Affilates

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Introduction

Scams

Cookie Grabbers

I've been Scammed!

Other Scam Guides