THE TOP FIVE SCAM METHODS
wahmbulance Moderator/Administrator Impersonation
In this case, a user pretends to be a moderator or administrator, and scares you into telling them your password. They may send you a letter saying, "You must send us your username and password or face a ban..." or do something similar on the forums. Remember: NEVER TRUST ANYONE WHO WANTS YOUR PASSWORD. THE ADMINS AND MODS WILL NEVER ASK FOR YOUR PASSWORD.
EVER.
wahmbulance Fake Login Pages
These are very tricky. You get sent to these pages by clicking on links, and the page leads you to believe you just got logged out and need to enter your username and password by being a very convincing copy of a real Gaia log in page. But the truth is, IT ISN'T! If you were to attempt to log in, your username and password would be sent directly to a scammer's computer. Before entering your password, MAKE SURE IT SAYS GAIAONLINE in the address bar.
wahmbulance General Trickery
Scammers are sometimes very smart in getting your password through ways you didn't think were possible. In some cases, people choose words that are meaningful to them as a password. What if you chose your dog's name as a password and the scammer wanted to know your dog's name? Could they not try that password? Also, the scammer may say something along the lines of, "If you write your password, it will show up as "XXXXX". This isn't true! When you try it, your password will show up plainly for everyone to see. There are other tricks like this, whether direct or subtle, that a scammer can use on you. The safest thing for you to do is to NEVER WRITE YOUR PASSWORD IN A PM, POST, JOURNAL ENTRY, or anywhere, regardless of whether you're telling people it's your password or not! If you must insist on using your boyfriend's name, for instance, don't mention what his real name is to the general public of Gaia.
wahmbulance Password Trade for Gain
I almost want to say that you totally deserved what you got if this happens to you. This is when someone promises you something, or you gave them money, and they want to give you something-- only they want to have your password to finish the deal. This also applies when you give someone your password so that they can put gold in your account, or if you're asking someone to post in your place for gold. These shady activities are almost guaranteed to get you scammed, and moderators won't be willing to help you if you were breaking the rules. My suggestion is, DON'T DO IT!
wahmbulance Shared Computer Nightmare
So you're sharing your computer with your little brother, and you forget to log out. Can you trust him to not get in to your account? Or you go to the library and don't log out then. Is the next person to go on Gaia on that computer going to just let the opportunity pass them by? Maybe they will, maybe they won't. In this case, be safe-- ALWAYS LOG OUT WHEN USING A SHARED COMPUTER.
10 MYTHS ABOUT SCAMS
1. "I JUST GOT HACKED!"
False
Let's just define the difference between a hacker and a scammer here. A hacker uses coding and programs to mess things up and take passwords if possible. That's hard work, so hackers are rare here. A scammer is a person that tries to get you to tell them your password, whether by asking directly or by tricking you. Gaia is a place full of potential victims to a scam, so you must protect yourself.
2. Giving your password to a friend is perfectly safe.
False
Maybe you want a friend to post for you to make you money while you're away, or maybe you're letting your friend dress your avatar. THESE ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ACTIVITIES. No matter how much you trust you friends, bad things could possibly happen. Your friends may choose to take advantage of you, because once your friend is on your account, they may be tempted by all that gold you have. Also, they may drop a hint about what your password is accidentally, or move something into their account and forget to give it back or something like that, because people make mistakes. Keep your password a secret from your friends regardless of how well you know them because you don't know what could happen.
Tip: Want a friend to dress your avatar without taking any risks? Tektek.org has a nifty tool that will let you do this. Click here to check it out.
3. Reporting a scam won't help me. I probably won't get my items back, so why bother?
False
Reporting a scam may not always allow you to get your items back, but the important thing is that reporting a scam can help moderators to track down a scammer and stop them. It's always best to report a scam and don't be embarrassed about it.
Tip: Report a scam here.
4. I should report anyone who might be a scammer, even if I'm not 100% sure.
True
Even if you've avoided being scammed, or the person only acts suspicious, you should definitely report their behavior to a moderator. It's important to stop scammers before they harm more users, so reporting possible scammers is a good idea. If the moderator looks into it and the person turns out to be innocent, I guarantee you that the moderators will not be mad, because they know that you were only being a concerned Gaian. However, SUBMITTING FALSE REPORTS IS NOT TOLERATED BY MODERATORS,, so don't submit reports unless you have a good reason. In other words, don't submit a report if you're mad at someone and just want to get them in trouble, etc.
4. I should send scam warnings make threads about scams to alert others.
False
Many people already know full-well how to protect their password. Sending your friends mail about a scam or making a thread about a scam you have personally encountered is just plain annoying. I understand that you can be concerned for others, but everyone has brain of his or her own, and you don't need to send public service announcements to everyone. If you'd really like to be helpful, you can add a friendly message to your signature, but don't spam people's inboxes or the forums with warnings.
Tip: PMing others about a scam can be classified as chain mail. Here's what Gaia has to say about chain mail:
"A Chain letter is a message that tells you to send it to other people. Some chain letters may be scams, but most are simply annoying. On Gaia, Chainletters are considered spam, we ask that members do not participate in sending Chainletters to other members. "
5. I can get scammed by loading images, or going to certain threads.
False
This is simply not possible. An image file or thread cannot contain a program that would somehow magically figure out your password. However, some links you encounter could lead you to a harmful file, and images can also be links. So before you click on anything, check to see if when you open it, it won't open an .EXE file. An .exe file could be a program that can do a lot of bad things to you. Also, opening suspicious email attachments or other files from sources you don't trust can possibly contain some malware, like a virus. Don't click on suspicious links under any circumstances, for reasons other than password protection, too!
6. Scammers are tricky, they can ask questions to get me to accidentally reveal my password or give them subtle hints.
True
Ever go to a thread in the chatterbox where it asked you to answer questions in individual posts to get gold? Ever recieved a PM or email from a stranger who asked you personal questions? Often times, people choose a password that they can remember by using their birthdate, a pet's name, a sports team they like, etc. (Which is not a good idea.) These same kinds of questions are also used as your security questions, in case you forgot your password. By asking you these questions, a scammer could try using the hints you gave them to figure out your password.
Tip: Not all questions threads/PMs are scams; some are just for fun. Use good judgement if you come across a thread or PM like this.
7. Gaia will automatically censor my password if I use it in a post, whether in the forums, in a PM, or in one of the game rooms.
False
Don't let anyone convince you of this, because this is a common trick. Perhaps the scammer will say, "Hey, your password will censor to XXXXXX if you write it!" By saying this, people will try it, and the password won't be censored. It will be right out in the open for everyone to see. Don't fall for this one, it's one of the oldest in the book!
8. If an administrator or moderator asks for my password, it's okay to tell them.
It's sometimes necessary to give people that are doing me a service my password.
False
ADMINISTRATORS OR MODERATORS WILL NEVER ASK FOR YOUR PASSWORD! If someone says that they are an administrator or moderator, and then proceed to ask for your password, don't trust them. Real administrators and moderators would certainly not want to scam you. Also, if you're paying for some sort of service, like avatar art or an adoptable, or something of that nature, the person definitely shouldn't be asking for your password, regardless of the reason they give for needing it. If anyone offers you something or threatens you and asks for your password, don't do it! Don't be fooled if they say they'll report you if you don't supply your password.
9. It's okay to say or use my password on another site, I can't get scammed on another site.
False
Never ever use your password for another site other than Gaia. Anyone can trace you back to Gaia and try your password here too, if you use the same username and password somewhere else. (This is what happened during the May 6th incident.) They can also make fake forms on other websites to get you to enter your password, and your password will be sent right to the scammer. Definitely make sure that the URL says www.gaiaonline.com before you log in!
Tip: Don't write down your passwords anywhere, just keep them memorized. If you write them down, someone could find them. If you have a hard time remembering passwords, at least use multiple passwords to make things easy for yourself. For example, you may use the same password for two accounts you have at two different sites, but no more than that. Keep in mind that if a scammer knows your password, he or she can get into both accounts, however.
10. Changing my password occasionally can help ward off scammers. I should also use a long password and use a random combination of letters, numbers, and other characters to be safe.
True
While it may be difficult to keep track of a changing password, it's best to change your password occasionally to keep anyone that might have found out your password out of our account. Also, to avoid ever giving out hints or having people guess your password, keep your password long and random so that it's very difficult to guess. You never know who might decide to take advantage of you, and it's better to be safe than sorry!
Tip: On Gaia, you can form passwords with special characters, like something as weird as @! Don't use only numbers and letters if you want to be extra safe.
In the event that you do get scammed, here's some information that you need to know.
If someone tries to scam me, what do I do?
Do not reply to the post or PM or email. Immediately go click on whichever of these buttons applies for your specific case.
If the scammer made a thread to try and scam people, click...
And then follow the instructions.
If the scammer made a post to try and scam people, click...
And then follow the instructions.
If the scammer contacted you via PM, click...
And then follow the instructions.
If the scammer is trying to scam you in a game room, such as in Gaia Fishing, Slots, or they try to scam you in Towns, click...
And then follow the instructions.
If the scammer contacted you via email, contact any Dedicated Gaia Moderator and supply as much information about the scam as you can.
There are also other places that you may see a scam, such as in a guild, or in a journal, but they are rare. Still, there are options to report scams in guilds and journals as well.
Please be aware that Gaia is not responsible for anything you loose from your account if you get scammed. While Moderators will work to stop scammers, they can not guarantee that you will get your items back. That's why you must protect your password!
Once the scammer has my password, what will the scammer do to my account?
How the scammer goes about getting your money or items, or what particularly they want from your account all depends on the scammer, and what your account has to offer to a scammer. They may act out of desperation to get a certain item they know you have, they may want to take over your account and impersonate you because of your popularity or your account's age, or they may simply drain everything you have out of your account.
Regardless of what the scammer is going to do to you, a seasoned scammer will typically log in to your account and then immediately change your password so that you can't possibly stop them from doing whatever they want to do to you. If they get in and change your password, it's all over.
However, not all scammers are very smart, so if you are fortunate, the scammer may be slow at getting into your account, or may not change your password right away in favor of immediately sending items to their own account. Many scammers will assume that you will be oblivious to the fact that you just got scammed, or assume that you will be too surprised about it or go about stopping the scammer in the wrong way.
Whatever the scammer does is bad news for you, but it's possible to stop a scamming once you know that someone has your password, if you move as fast as possible.
If I think I just got scammed, what do I do?
It's okay, we all make mistakes, and scammers can be tricky. I have even fallen for the censored password trick, mentioned above, and this is exactly how I managed to save my account. Whatever you do, don't sit there and smack your forehead or whine about it. You'll also want to save reporting the scam until later. Speed is very important here, so memorize what you are about to read.
1. Stop. I don't care if you were in the middle of writing something to a friend or something of that nature. Stop whatever you were doing.
2. Don't panic. If you keep a clear head, you can work faster and you'll have a better chance of saving your account.
3. Go to "My Gaia" then "Account". CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD. NOW! It doesn't matter if it's even a good password, just change it to something else right away! Just don't enter something so random that you won't be able to remember it, or you'll have a new problem on your hands.
Now, one of two things will happen.
heart The password will successfully have been changed and you have avoided getting scammed! Hooray! Even if the scammer did get in, by changing your password, the scammer has been stopped in his or her tracks. You know how when you go to the bank, or sell something on the marketplace, you need to enter your password? There are a few reasons for this safeguard, but one of them is so that if someone got into your account, and you managed to change your password in time, scammers can't possibly send any items to their account or sell any of your items because... now they don't know what your password is! If the scammer decided to post with your account, tell a Gaia Helper about your problem and have them delete any posts. If the spammer left your account, now is the appropriate time to send a report, here.
emo Oh crap! You just got a message saying that you supplied an incorrect password! Well, try again, just to make sure you didn't make a typo, (scams are pretty stressful afterall,) but then if it still refuses, there's still one last thing you can do, so don't freak out quite yet. Log out your account and then click "Forgot Login Information?" on the front page. If the scammer hasn't changed your email address, Gaia will reset your password and send you the new one. But, if the scammer changed the email address that you wanted Gaia to send your password to, then you are simply out of luck and I'm very sorry, because you must have run into a seasoned pro, who are rare but more dangerous than a casual scammer. Report this scam by going here.
I just discovered that my account has been drained / someone took my money / someone took my items/there are mysterious posts that I never made now in my post history! What do I do?
This is a case where you've been scammed, and the scammer is long since gone. The only thing you can do is go here to report the scam.
I'm trying to get into my account, but it won't let me, I know that I'm supplying the correct password. What do I do?
Scammers will often times change your password once they've gotten into your account. If you can't get in, assume that this probably happened to you. Simply go to, "Forgot Your Login?" on the front page, and give Gaia your username and email. If the scammer changed these as well, there's no hope of getting back in, but if they didn't, you'll probably discover that your account was messed with once you finally log back in. Click here to report the scam.
In closing, you need to use common sense. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If someone asks you for your password, don't give it out willingly. Use good judgement when dealing with a suspicious person or link. I hope that you never get scammed, but in case you do, I hope that you will be able to stop your account from being harmed and that you will learn your lesson about keeping your password safe.
-Kaasen
