It was a beautiful morning when I woke up. I was just waiting to log onto Whyville. Just as I typed in my username, Zmp1, and my password, it said that I typed in my password incorrectly. I tried it again, when it occurred to me: I had been hacked.
Most Whyvillians know the rule that City Workers made: never give out your password. Well, some hackers know how to smooth talk you, and find a way to hack you, even without any hacking software. Well here are a couple ways they do it:
I'm new to Whyville. Could you give me a makeover?
Some hackers will create a new account as a Newbie and ask for a makeover. Well, they won't turn down the chance for an account full of clams and face parts, so they will try to hack the hacker. When they change the password on the account, they almost always change it to their own, and so the hacker requests their password to be sent to their e-mail address and then they try the password on your account. Ta da! They hacked you without you giving away your password.
Buying account! I'll pay 1k!
Another way the Smooth Hacker hacks is offering to pay 1,000 clams for an account. He will get into a trading room and put up 1,000 so that you see he wasn't lying, and then demands you tell him the username and password first. Most of the time it is a Newb account, but the hacker doesn't care. He just tries the password you gave him on you, and most of the time, it works. He hacked you again! This also works for selling accounts. He will say it is free, and tell you to change the password. Then he will send it to his e-mail and viola! He hacked you either way.
If you change your parent e-mail to Bill@email.com then y-mail me your username only!
This one is an absolute tricker. Hackers almost never fail. Of course, they are asking you to change your parent e-mail to their e-mail, and once you send them your username, they put it in and request the password to be sent to the parent e-mail, which you changed to theirs. So now they have your password, account, and all your hard work.
As you see, nothing good can come from the Smooth Hacker. If you ever suspect someone may be trying to get your password without them even mentioning it, 911 report it immediately. If they are selling/buying accounts, asking/giving makeovers, or asking you to change your parent e-mail, 911 report it right away. Don't let your hard work and time get thrown away!
-ArmyClams
